RIYADH: Jazan Port for Primary and Downstream Industries recorded a 44 percent increase in total cargo handling volume during the first quarter of 2026, reaching 317,000 tonnes, compared to 221,000 tonnes during the same period last year, according to the port’s management in remarks to Al-Eqtisadiah.
Imports during the first quarter reached 264,000 tonnes, while exports reached 54,000 tonnes. The management considered this an indicator of growing commercial activity through the port and its expanding connection to local and global markets.
It is likely that the growth in cargo handling volume may be driven by shifts in regional shipping routes, with some shipping lines and importers turning to Saudi Red Sea ports as logistical alternatives in light of the disruptions to shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
In the port sector, handling refers to the total volume of goods processed within the port. This includes loading and unloading cargo onto ships, as well as transporting and storing it within the port's yards and facilities.
The goods handled included direct reduced iron, granite, beans, and manganese ore, as well as ilmenite, clinker, barley, steel billets, and various general cargo.
