By Jama Ayaanle Feyte
Riyadh – The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has officially launched new maritime shipping services connecting Saudi terminals to Somaliland’s Berbera Port, a move that strengthens Riyadh’s logistics footprint in the Horn of Africa amid intensifying regional competition.
The service integrates Berbera into Mawani’s network of 17 international destinations, including major hubs in China, India, and the Gulf. The first vessels are expected to boost Berbera’s annual container throughput, which currently stands at approximately 500,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), with projected growth of 15–20% over the next 12 months.
Strategic benefits
For Saudi Arabia (Vision 2030):
· Aims to raise the Kingdom’s maritime logistics capacity to 40 million TEUs annually by 2030.
· Reduces reliance on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb chokepoints by diversifying regional port access.
For Somaliland & Berbera:
· Berbera’s current utilization is estimated at 60–70% of capacity; new Saudi services could push it toward full capacity by late 2027.
· The port’s free zone, spanning 12 square kilometers, is expected to attract an additional $150–200 million in Saudi-linked FDI over two years.
For Ethiopia (landlocked, 120 million population):
· Currently over 90% of Ethiopian trade transits through Djibouti. The Berbera corridor offers a shorter alternative: less than 250 km from Berbera to the Ethiopian border vs. over 900 km via Djibouti.
· Projected logistics cost savings: 10–15% on container freight to Addis Ababa.
Regional competition context
The move places Saudi Arabia in direct but complementary competition with the UAE, whose DP World holds a 51% stake in Berbera’s development under a 30-year concession signed in 2016. Turkey also operates a military facility in neighboring Somalia.
Mawani’s entry diversifies Berbera’s investor base, reducing single-actor dependency. In 2025, Berbera handled an estimated 1.2 million tons of cargo, up from 850,000 tons in 2020. Saudi-backed services are forecast to push that figure past 1.5 million tons by end-2026.
Livestock impact
Somaliland exports approximately 3–4 million livestock heads annually to the Gulf, worth around $250–300 million. The new shipping route cuts sea transit time from Berbera to Jeddah by an estimated 2–3 days, improving animal health and reducing mortality rates by an expected 5–7%.
Bottom line
With port competition in the Horn accelerating—involving the UAE, Ethiopia’s recent MoU with Somaliland (January 2024), and now Saudi Arabia—Berbera stands as the primary beneficiary. The Mawani service transforms it from a regional alternative into a frontline competitor to Djibouti, which currently handles 1.7 million TEUs annually.
Jama Ayaanle Feyte is Somaliland Born Journalist and Horn of Africa Political and Security Analyst
