Mawani Updates MSC JADE Route via Bab al-Mandab

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has updated the route of MSC's JADE container shipping service, which will now pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Suez Canal with a scheduled call at King Abdullah Port in Rabigh. The move aims to strengthen connectivity and increase container throughput at Saudi ports.

The revised JADE route links King Abdullah Port with a wide network of international ports across Europe, Asia, and Northeast Asia. These include Fos-sur-Mer in France, Barcelona and Valencia in Spain, Gioia Tauro in Italy, Singapore, several major Chinese ports such as Nansha, Yantian, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shanghai and Qingdao, as well as Busan in South Korea.

With an estimated capacity of about 24,000 TEU, the service is designed to support higher cargo volumes moving to and from the Kingdom. Routing via Bab al-Mandab and Suez is intended to reduce transit times, improve supply-chain reliability, and enhance the flow of import and export cargo through Saudi ports.

JADE has also been added to Jeddah Islamic Port alongside King Abdullah Port, reinforcing links between Saudi ports on the Red Sea and key Asian and Mediterranean destinations, while supporting inland haulage and connections to Gulf markets.

Part of a wider 2026 program

The service adjustment forms part of Mawani's 2026 program to add and upgrade multiple shipping services at Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, and King Abdullah Port. The initiative supports Saudi Arabia's role as a global logistics and maritime hub. Recent advisories in August 2026 pointed to the resumption and adjustment of selected East–West services in the Red Sea region, with JADE eastbound voyages scheduled around late August 2026, reflecting the operational continuity of the updated route.

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