The Statistical Center of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf announced today, Saturday, 18th January, that 10 Gulf container ports have been ranked among the 70 most efficient ports in the world for the year 2024, out of a total of 405 ports worldwide.
The center’s report highlighted that the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar are among the 35 countries with the largest global maritime fleets in terms of weight and tonnage, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report for 2024.
Regarding the size of the global commercial fleet, the center’s report also revealed that the Gulf commercial fleet accounted for 54.2% of the total Arab fleet of commercial ships in 2023.
Additionally, the data showed that most GCC countries surpassed the Arab average in the index of connectivity to the regular maritime navigation network, with a recorded score of 100.5 points in 2023.
The report explained that the number of major Gulf seaports exceeded 25 in 2024. Regarding container productivity, the Gulf ports were categorized, with two ports making the list of high-production ports, handling over 4 million containers, and eight ports classified under medium production, with a range of 500,000 to 4 million containers.
The center highlighted the sustainable development of the infrastructure at the main seaports and stations in the GCC countries, positioning them as leading global logistics centers.
Moreover, the center emphasized the importance of maritime navigation and Gulf ports, noting their vital strategic role as key hubs for global shipping and logistics operations.
The center highlighted the Unified Maritime Operations Center as one of the most significant achievements of close cooperation among GCC countries. It plays a crucial role in protecting territorial waters and ensuring freedom of navigation, thereby enhancing security and stability in the GCC region.
Importantly, the Gulf Statistical Center, headquartered in the Sultanate of Oman, is the official body responsible for data, information, and statistics related to the GCC countries. Established to serve as the primary source of statistics, it also works to enhance the statistical and information capabilities of national statistics centers and planning agencies across the GCC countries.
Source: Al Anba
