King Abdul Aziz Seaport Dammam – Cargo, Facilities & Rules

King Abdul Aziz SeaPort Dammam Address

King Abdul Aziz sea Port (also called Dammam Port) is located in Dammam, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Its UN/LOCODE is SA DMM (often cited as SADMM). (Wikipedia)
For container terminal operations, the operator is Saudi Global Ports (SGP). (saudiglobalports.com.sa)
SGP’s contact page lists “King Abdul Aziz Port – Dammam, KSA” as their location for the container terminal operations. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)

Dammam Port Code

• The UN/LOCODE (port code) is SADMM (or “SA DMM”). (Wikipedia)
• In shipping schedules and liner services, you’ll often see the port code “DAMMAM / SADMM” used. (CMA CGM)

Dammam Port Location

King Abdul Aziz Port lies on the Arabian (Persian) Gulf coast in the city of Dammam, in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. (Wikipedia)
It is positioned about 5 nautical miles offshore, built partly on reclaimed land, and is linked via road and rail inland to Riyadh and other regions. (SHIPNEXT)
The port serves as the main maritime gateway for cargo to the eastern and central regions of the Kingdom, including Riyadh (through its dry-port / rail linkage) (Arab Sea Ports Federation)

Riyadh Port Saudi Arabia

Though Riyadh is landlocked, its major dry port (in As-Sinaiyah, Riyadh) is directly tied into Dammam’s port system. This is often referred to as the Riyadh Dry Port, part of the Riyadh Dry Port Ecosystem operated by Saudi Global Ports (SGP). (PSA International)
Key facts about Riyadh Dry Port:

• It is connected via rail to Dammam Seaport, enabling seamless inland transport of containers. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)
• The year 2022 saw the formal takeover of operations by SGP Riyadh. (PSA International)
• It has a planned capacity of 950,000 TEUs and includes a bonded warehouse, etc. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)

Thus, while Riyadh itself has no seaport, the Dammam–Riyadh logistics corridor effectively serves the capital’s maritime trade.

King Abdul Aziz Seaport Vessel Schedule

You can find live vessel schedules (arrivals, departures) for Ad Dammam via platforms such as SeaRates. (SeaRates)
Other container lines also publish schedules for Dammam (port code SADMM). For example:

• CMA CGM lists routes and ETA/ETD for “DAMMAM / SADMM” (CMA CGM)
• ONE’s schedule site shows vessel arrivals and cutoffs for Dammam (ecomm.one-line.com)

Additionally, vessel tracking services like VesselFinder show real-time ship arrivals / departures at Dammam. (VesselFinder)

In terms of capacity and constraints:

• Maximum draft, length, DWT etc for Dammam: max draft ~14.2 m, max LOA ~398 m, max DWT ~196,000. (SHIPNEXT)

What Kinds of Cargo Are Handled

King Abdulaziz Port handles a wide variety of cargo types. Key categories include:

• Containers / General Cargo – The port has container terminals operating 24/7. (Wikipedia)
• Dry Bulk / Solid Bulk – e.g. commodities, minerals, grains, other bulk goods. (Container News)
• Liquid Bulk / Petroleum & Petrochemicals – As part of the Kingdom’s oil infrastructure, the port handles products and feedstock. (Wikipedia)
• Automobiles / Ro-Ro – The port has Ro-Ro facilities; vehicle counts have surged in recent statistics. (Container News)
• Refrigerated / Chilled Cargo – The dry port / container terminals include chill transfer areas in the inland link network. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)
• Transit / Transshipment / General Cargo – The port handles transit / transshipment operations, with applicable handling tariffs. (Mawani)

Facilities & Infrastructure

King Abdulaziz Port is well-equipped with modern port infrastructure and continues to expand. Key features:

• Berths & Terminals
  • The port comprises 39 to 43 berths/ports in various sources, covering general cargo, container, Ro-Ro, etc. (Wikipedia)
  • The container terminals are operated 24 hours daily, with shift breaks etc. (Wikipedia)
  • In May 2024 the port set a record by handling ~292,612 TEUs in that single month. (Port Technology International)
  • The port’s total handling capacity (cargo + containers) is often cited around 105 million tonnes annually. (Port Technology International)
• Rail Connectivity
  • Berths 4 to 13 are linked to the railway system, enabling direct transfer of general and container cargo onto the Riyadh rail line. (Wikipedia)
  • The Dammam–Riyadh rail corridor is a key cargo route in Saudi Arabia. (Alg Global)
• Container Yards, Handling Equipment, Stacking Areas
  • Modern container stacking yards, multiple rail tracks, and yard equipment (cranes, reach stackers) exist. (Wikipedia)
  • In the dry port ecosystem, equipment includes ~10 straddle carriers, 13 reach stackers, 6 empty container handlers. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)
• Operator & Expansion / Privatization
  • The port is now part of Saudi Global Ports (SGP) operations, which runs the container and multipurpose terminals. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)
  • In June 2025, the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) signed 20-year concession agreements to privatize multipurpose terminals at Dammam and other eastern ports under SGP. (Container News)
• Storage / Yards / Inland Nodes
  • The Riyadh Dry Port ecosystem supports inland clearance, bonded warehousing, empty yards etc. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)
  • In July 2024, Mawani extended exemption for export empty container storage from 10 days to 20 days (for six months) to facilitate operations. (Argaam)

Latest Statistics & Trends

Here are the most recent throughput and performance data:

• In 2023, the port handled 2,305,811 TEUs, a growth of ~13.10% over 2022. (Container News)
• In May 2024, the port set a monthly throughput record of ~292,612 TEUs. (Port Technology International)
• For 2024, general cargo volume rose to ~2,580,974 tons (up ~49.5% year-over-year). (Container News)
• Bulk solid cargo in 2024 rose ~2.6% to 5,986,089 tons. (Container News)
• Maritime activity (vessel calls) in 2024 reached 1,430 ships, up from 1,192 in 2023. (Container News)
• Automobile / Ro-Ro traffic surged ~110% to 363,167 units in 2024 vs 173,086 units in 2023. (Container News)
• In a recent period, the port’s overall cargo throughput jumped ~37.4%, with total tonnage up to 24.92 million tons (from ~19.36 million). (Hellenic Shipping News)
• General cargo grew by >49%, dry bulk by ~2.6%. (The Maritime Standard)

These trends show clear acceleration in container volume, general cargo, and automobile flows, indicating that Dammam port is scaling up fast.

Common Rules, Regulations & Free Time

Understanding port rules and free time is critical in logistics. Below are some key points relevant to King Abdulaziz Port / Saudi ports in general:

• The Law of Port Service Fees and Charges sets out the rules for storage, wharfage, port services, etc. (Mawani)
• Free time / free storage for containers (import/export) is granted for a defined number of days, after which storage / demurrage charges apply. (Maersk)
  • For example, under the current tariff, imports count free time from the day the container is discharged; exports from the date of arrival at the port. (Maersk)
  • The free time is applied only once per passage (even if container is moved between terminals). (Maersk)
  • After free time, daily storage rates escalate by tiers. For example, from day 6 to 14, then day 15 to 20, then beyond. (Maersk)
  • Over-gauge / over-dimensional cargo storage is charged at higher multiples of standard rates. (Maersk)
• In mid-2024, Mawani extended the free exemption period for empty container storage from 10 to 20 days (for a six-month timeframe) to support traffic flow. (Argaam)
• Other regulatory points:
  • Storage charges are inclusive of public holidays. (Maersk)
  • Leaking containers must be shifted to designated area and incur special charges. (Maersk)
  • Transit / transshipment cargo has separate tariff tables. (Maersk)
  • The wharf use begins on vessel arrival and ends on departure. (Mawani)
  • Additional non-maritime services (shifting, special handling) are charged as “ancillary services” per actual cost. (Maersk)

It’s always wise to consult the latest tariff schedule (from MAWANI or SGP) before planning operations, because rates and free time may change.

Jeddah Islamic Port Website

• Jeddah Islamic Port is Saudi Arabia’s major Red Sea port, handling a large share of the Kingdom’s import traffic. (Wikipedia)
• The port has a website (via Saudi Ports / Mawani) listing services, news, berths etc. (e.g. ports.gov.sa). (Wikipedia)
• In the Saudi maritime strategy, Jeddah is the western terminus of the “Landbridge” project, connecting to Dammam on the east. (Wikipedia)

Saudi Global Ports

Saudi Global Ports (SGP) is the main operator and stakeholder for the container and multipurpose terminals at King Abdulaziz Port (Dammam), and also oversees the Riyadh Dry Port ecosystem. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)

Key points:

• SGP is a public-private venture (involving Saudi PIF, PSA International, Al Blagha holdings) working to modernize Saudi’s port and logistics ecosystem. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)
• Recently, SGP was awarded 20-year concession agreements to manage multipurpose terminals at Dammam, Jubail, Ras Al Khair etc. (PSA International)
• SGP aims to integrate port operations, rail, and inland logistics to improve efficiency and reduce costs. (saudiglobalports.com.sa)

The shipping lines list of top 10 shipping companies in the world operate across container, bulk, and tanker segments, connecting global trade routes through advanced fleets and digital logistics. Leading the list, the top 10 shipping companies in the world include Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Evergreen, Yang Ming, HMM, and Messina—together controlling over 80% of global container capacity and driving innovation in sustainable maritime transport.