Saudi cargo trains expand service due to Hormuz closure

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) will operate container trains to additional stations nationwide due to the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the national transport authority said.

The move will expand logistics connectivity between ports and cargo terminals within the kingdom and neighbouring countries, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported, quoting a Transport General Authority statement.

Container trains in Saudi Arabia transport more than 2,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per day. 

The approval allows for increased volumes, thereby improving supply-chain stability, the statement said. No details were given on the capacity increase.

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has added five new maritime shipping services to strengthen connectivity across the Red Sea amid the regional conflict. 

Additionally, Mawani launched a service from King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam to ports in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, as well as Umm Qasr in Iraq. The service will have a handling capacity of up to 3,000 TEUs.

In November 2024 Saleh Al Jasser, transport minister and SAR chairman, said the kingdom planned to expand its railway network by around 45 percent, to over 8,000km in the coming years.

The current rail network spans more than 5,500km.

Further reading:

• Aramco oil exports spike after shift to Red Sea ports
• Ships test ‘Iran-approved’ Hormuz corridor
• UAE businesses scramble for Hormuz trade alternatives