The Saudi export development adviser, Omar Al Rajeh, said that the shipping companies have expressed their willingness to raise the export rates from Saudi Arabia to Iraq via the direct shipping line from Dammam to the port of Umm Qasr in Basra.
"We are currently shipping about 100 containers a week from Dammam to Umm Qasr port," he said. "We aim to increase the number of containers per week to 250 containers to gradually increase in the coming period to reach 500 containers per week by the end of this year.
He pointed out that the completion of the project direct land port between Saudi Arabia and Iraq would increase Saudi exports, and will reduce the cost of shipping.
He also pointed out that a number of shipping companies are preparing to open a direct sea line between the port of Dammam and the port of Umm Qasr in Iraq.
"All the shipping companies we have addressed have shown their willingness to allocate an unlimited number of ships whenever there is a request," he said.
He predicted that there will be a jump in the volume and value of Saudi exports to Iraq with the opening of the land port, as the shipping costs currently do not make Saudi products competitive because there are other countries by land to Iraq at a lower cost.
SOURCE
"We are currently shipping about 100 containers a week from Dammam to Umm Qasr port," he said. "We aim to increase the number of containers per week to 250 containers to gradually increase in the coming period to reach 500 containers per week by the end of this year.
He pointed out that the completion of the project direct land port between Saudi Arabia and Iraq would increase Saudi exports, and will reduce the cost of shipping.
He also pointed out that a number of shipping companies are preparing to open a direct sea line between the port of Dammam and the port of Umm Qasr in Iraq.
"All the shipping companies we have addressed have shown their willingness to allocate an unlimited number of ships whenever there is a request," he said.
He predicted that there will be a jump in the volume and value of Saudi exports to Iraq with the opening of the land port, as the shipping costs currently do not make Saudi products competitive because there are other countries by land to Iraq at a lower cost.
SOURCE