Billions Invested to Expand Jeddah Islamic Port Capacity

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has announced a series of major investments to expand handling capacity and facilities at Jeddah Islamic Port, one of the Kingdom's busiest maritime gateways. The plans span new terminals, upgraded equipment, and logistics parks developed through long-term concession agreements with private operators.

For 2026, Mawani allocated SAR 641 million (about USD 170 million) to expand cargo-handling operations at the port, covering new cranes, yard equipment, additional container terminal space, and increased cold-storage capacity. A separate SAR 3 billion program to expand the South Container Terminal is underway, raising its capacity from 1.8 million to 4 million TEUs, with completion targeted for the second quarter of 2026.

A new logistics park is also under construction at the port under a 30-year concession, with an investment of SAR 900 million and an opening planned around the second quarter of 2025. Combined port projects with private operators total close to SAR 4 billion, while long-term build-operate-transfer concessions for container terminals carry total investments of SAR 9 billion, aimed at lifting annual container capacity from 7.6 million to 12 million TEUs.

In 2026, Mawani signed seven agreements to establish and expand logistics centers at Jeddah Islamic Port and the Al-Khumra Logistics Zone, with total investments approaching SAR 1 billion. In August 2026, an agreement was reached to jointly develop and operate Terminal 4 at the port with an investment of about SAR 1.6 billion, targeting total handling capacity of around 8.8 million TEUs annually.

The expansion matters for residents and businesses because a larger, more efficient port strengthens the supply chains that keep goods flowing into Riyadh, Jeddah, and beyond — supporting the Kingdom's ambitions to become a leading global logistics hub.

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