Tanger Med and Casablanca Ports Propel Arab Maritime Trade
The ports of Tanger Med and Casablanca are firmly established as two of the premier maritime hubs in the Arab world, significantly enhancing connectivity within the global shipping network, as detailed in a recent report by the Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman). This comprehensive analysis, released in their fourth sectoral report aimed for 2025, showcases how these Moroccan ports, alongside notable competitors such as Jebel Ali, Khalifa, Jeddah, Alexandria, Port Said, Dammam, Damietta, and Salalah, rank prominently among 71 assessed Arab ports.
Over the past 23 years, the maritime transport sector in the Arab region has attracted a remarkable 146 foreign investment projects, amassing a total investment value nearing $4 billion. This influx of investment has contributed to a robust expansion of the commercial fleet, which has seen a 4% increase, now comprising approximately 2,900 vessels. Furthermore, the fleet's overall transport capacity has surged by 4.6%, amassing nearly 109 million deadweight tons by 2025, which accounts for 5% of global maritime transport capacity.
The report further highlights the collaborative efforts in intra-Arab investments, as six nations—namely Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Egypt—have collectively invested in 11 joint maritime projects with an expenditure surpassing $218 million. In 2023, Arab ports managed to handle an impressive 423 million metric tons of goods, with a significant 58% of this volume transacted through Morocco, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Additionally, nearly 1.6 billion metric tons of goods were loaded through Arab ports in the same year, constituting 14% of the global total, where oil accounted for 58% of the overall cargo volume.
Moreover, the report indicates a significant 19% growth in container handling across ten Arab ports in 2023 compared to 2019, reaching an impressive 59 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). The average rankings of Arab nations within the liner shipping connectivity index have also seen improvements, particularly for Morocco, the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, who have emerged as leaders in this domain.
In terms of maritime transport services, the foreign trade of 11 Arab countries witnessed a notable 12% increase, surpassing $53 billion in 2024, which represents 25% of the total Arab trade in transportation services. This substantial growth reflects not only the increasing importance of maritime connectivity in the region but also the potential for future expansion and collaboration among Arab nations.
As reported by en.yabiladi.com.
