Shipping Arabia, October 23, 2026 – Saudi ports cargo throughput declined by 25% in September 2026, with total handled volumes exceeding 16.5 million tons, compared with 22.1 million tons during the same month in 2025, according to the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani).
The decline was accompanied by a reduction in container throughput across the Kingdom’s ports. However, inbound container volumes increased, while outbound container movements recorded a slight decrease.
Saudi Ports Container Throughput Declines 4.46%
Saudi Arabia’s ports handled approximately 625,300 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in September 2026, representing a reported 4.46% decrease compared with the corresponding period last year.
During September 2025, total container throughput reached approximately 655,700 TEUs, according to Mawani’s figures.
The reduction in container handling accompanied the sharper decline in overall cargo tonnage, which fell by 25% year-on-year.
Inbound Container Volumes Increase as Exports Decline
Despite the overall reduction in container throughput, Saudi ports recorded an increase in inbound container movements during September 2026.
Inbound container volumes reached approximately 367,700 TEUs, compared with 251,100 TEUs during the same month in 2025.
The published report described this as a 6.58% increase, although the two reported volume figures indicate a larger percentage rise.
Meanwhile, outbound container throughput declined by 0.61%, reaching approximately 236,000 TEUs compared with 237,500 TEUs in September 2025.
The figures show contrasting trends in Saudi Arabia’s container traffic, with inbound movements increasing while outbound volumes declined slightly.
Overall, Mawani’s September results indicate lower cargo tonnage and total container throughput across Saudi ports, despite growth in inbound container handling.
Source: Maaal