Mawani has introduced a significant new cargo shipping route aimed at transforming trade connections between the Middle East, Africa and Europe, a development expected to influence regional exporters and international supply chains.
The new service, known as the Red Sea Express, was launched by Saudi Arabia in collaboration with shipping firm Folk Maritime and petrochemical company SABIC. The route links King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu with Ain Sokhna in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan.
The project forms part of the wider Red-to-Med logistics corridor, a multimodal transport system designed to connect the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, including a high-speed electric railway that is currently being developed.
According to officials, the service is expected to improve cargo movement, shorten waiting periods and strengthen supply chain performance along Red Sea shipping routes. Ships operating on the corridor will carry up to 1,100 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
Regional trade gains strategic boost
While the Strait of Hormuz remains vital for nearly 20% of the world’s crude oil exports, most container and non-oil cargo shipments avoid the route altogether.
Instead, commercial goods are transported through Red Sea–Mediterranean trade corridors such as the Red Sea Express, enabling smoother movement of cargo between Africa, Europe and Asia without entering the Gulf.
Oil and petrochemical exports, however, still largely depend on the traditional Gulf shipping passages leading to the Indian Ocean.
Officials from Mawani told Arab News that the service is expected to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s non-oil export sector, encourage foreign investment and improve the kingdom’s regional trade integration in support of its Vision 2030 diversification agenda.
For countries along eastern and northern Africa, stronger Red Sea connectivity could create new economic opportunities and offer more reliable shipping alternatives.
Ports such as Ain Sokhna, which serves as a gateway to the Suez Canal, and Aqaba, Jordan’s main deep-water port, provide substitute routes to areas sometimes affected by geopolitical instability.
Improving trade efficiency and competitiveness
Mawani said the new shipping line is expected to make Saudi exports more competitive by lowering transportation expenses and reducing delivery times, while also improving the reliability and efficiency of regional trade flows.
King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, one of the largest port facilities on the Red Sea with an annual cargo handling capacity of about 210 million tonnes, will serve as the primary Saudi hub for the Red Sea Express service.
The route also connects with Ain Sokhna Port in Egypt, a major Suez Canal gateway capable of handling up to 3.5 million TEUs annually, as well as Aqaba Port in Jordan, which processes roughly 2 to 2.5 million TEUs and between 20 and 25 million tonnes of general and bulk cargo each year.
Combined, the three ports create a trade network designed to strengthen regional commerce, reduce reliance on traditional Gulf shipping lanes and support cargo movement between Asia, Europe and Africa.