Saudi Arabia has eight large, modern ports that facilitate industrial development.

Saudi ports move more than four million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually.  Around 12,000 ships visit Saudi ports each year, totaling one ship every 30 minutes.  There are close to 200 berths at Saudi ports.

The Kingdom’s ports are operated by the Saudi Ports Authority, which supplies equipment and building piers. Maintenance is provided mostly by private companies.

More than half of Saudi Arabia’s sea traffic passes through the Islamic Port of Jeddah, one of the main ports in the Middle East and an entry point for pilgrims. Other major commercial ports are located in Dammam, Jizan, Jubail, Dhiba, as well as the industrial cities in Yanbu and Jubail. A ninth port planned for Ras Al-Zour is expected to facilitate the mining industry.

In addition, the King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah and the Jizan Economic City, currently under construction, will also have their own dedicated ports.

Ports for fishing boats and small freighters have also been constructed or upgraded, and in the late 1990s a private tourism company established hydrofoil service to link Jeddah with several industrial and urban centers along the Red Sea.