Saudi Ports Authority Launches New SRS Shipping Service Linking India's Mundra Port with Jeddah and Djibouti via the Red Sea

Saudi Arabia's Ports Authority (Mawani) has introduced a new South Red Sea (SRS) shipping service connecting Jeddah Islamic Port with India's Mundra Port in Gujarat and the Port of Djibouti — creating a strategic maritime corridor spanning the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa.

Operated by Emirates Shipping Line (ESL), the service has a carrying capacity of up to 2,144 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The first vessel on the route — the Panama-flagged An Hai (IMO: 9238155) — departed from Mundra Port for Djibouti on 4 June 2026.

The new route is designed to strengthen supply chain efficiency and facilitate smoother cargo flows across the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest maritime corridors. For India, specifically for Gujarat's exporters and industries, the service provides direct access to Saudi Arabia's western corridor — which connects the Jeddah Islamic Port to other key Red Sea hubs such as the King Fahad Industrial Port in Yanbu (Saudi Arabia), the Ain Sokhna Port in Egypt, and the Aqaba Port in Jordan.

From a hinterland connectivity perspective, Mundra Port — operated by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) — also serves as a gateway to the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) rail network, enabling cargo arriving via the SRS service to access the National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding industrial zones rapidly. Saudi Arabia is currently India's fourth-largest trading partner, while India is Saudi Arabia's second-largest. The launch aligns with Saudi Arabia's National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services, which aims to position the Kingdom as a global logistics hub under Vision 2030.