JEDDAH: Arab countries secured 146 foreign maritime transport projects worth nearly $4 billion over the past 23 years, according to a report by Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corp., also known as Dhaman.
In its fourth sectoral report for 2025, the corporation said 146 foreign projects were recorded during the period, with five countries — Egypt, the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Mauritania — accounting for 114 projects, or 78 percent of the total, according to Kuwait News Agency, or KUNA.
Those five countries attracted nearly $3.8 billion in investment, representing more than 91 percent of total foreign capital directed to the Arab maritime transport sector.
About 80 percent of global trade by volume is carried by sea, while global maritime trade reached 12.3 billion tonnes in 2023 and is expected to expand at an average annual rate of 2.4 percent through 2029, according to UN Conference on Trade and Development.
The findings come as maritime trade routes across the Middle East face renewed pressure from regional conflict, with restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz prompting cargo operators to review routes, insurance costs and delivery schedules.
