Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has signed a contract with the sea shipping company Maersk in order to increase the number of containers transported on SAR trains between King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam and Riyadh Dry Port.

SAR CEO Bashar Khalid Al-Malik and Maersk Saudi Arabia CEO Mohammad Shihab signed the three-year contract. The deal aims to increase the movement of containers between the two points. Further, it intends to provide innovative transport solutions that enhance the Kingdom’s competitiveness.

According to the reports, “The agreement aligns with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, a key component of the country’s Vision 2030. It directly improves the country’s rankings on the Logistics Performance Index and enhances operational efficiency. The initiative also reduces truck traffic between Dammam and Riyadh, lowers carbon emissions, and maintains road infrastructure and safety.”

The contract will also help increase operational efficiency, decrease the number of trucks between Dammam and Riyadh cities, reduce carbon emissions, and maintain road infrastructure.

For his part, Al-Malik stressed that such contracts improve the shipping sector, and reaffirmed SAR’s dedication to providing safe and creative solutions to enhance operational efficiency at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam and Riyadh Dry Port, thus improving the overall transportation sector.

Shihab said that, “The contract is a step toward finding cooperative solutions, between Maersk and SAR, for digital transformation and sustainable logistics. And, it will contribute to elevating Dammam Port to a regional station for global trade routes from the east to the local markets and farther to the countries in the region.”