New Folk Maritime service connects Jeddah to India

The new service, set to begin in September, will be operated through a vessel sharing agreement (VSA) between Saudi feeder and short sea shipping company Folk Maritime and Oman’s Asyad Line.

Plans for the route were unveiled in Folk Maritime CEO Poul Hestbaek’s interview on the Seatrade Maritime Podcast earlier this year.

The 10-day service will employ two vessels, including a 1,800 teu ship from Folk.

The new route supports Folk’s expectation of increased “friend-sourcing” in the region, with companies choosing to establish supply chains with partners in allied and aligned nations in order to reduce potential disruption. Ties between India and Saudi Arabia have increased in recent years, bolstered by mutual visits of dignitaries.

Two-way trade on the service will see consumer cargo move from India, and products including petrochemicals from Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth largest trade partner, and India is the Kingdom’s second largest trading partner, said Folk.

Mundra, in Gujarat, serves India’s northern hinterland with multimodal connectivity, while Nhava Sheva, east of Mumbai in Maharashtra, handles a significant portion of India’s containerised trade.

“The new route will further enhance bilateral trade between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and India, and underlines our ambition to become one of the leading maritime service providers in the region. It will also contribute to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to establish the Kingdom as a global logistics hub by enhancing connectivity and maritime sector growth,” said Hestbaek.

Related:Folk Maritime buys first feeder vessel

Saleem Kadernani, Chief Commercial Officer of Folk Maritime, said: “The new service is an exciting development for the business community with new and existing customers having more solutions to better meet their requirements. We are excited that we can now offer a sustainable service for our customers, and the new route is expected to create more value for them in the near- and long-term.”