Under the updated policy, cargo discharged at Jeddah Islamic Port or King Abdullah Port (KAP) will be accepted only if the final destination is located within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Consequently, all bookings designating Jeddah or KAP as the port of discharge must specify a consignee with a physical address in Saudi Arabia.  

This requirement applies to shipments originating from North Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea regions.  

Continued acceptance for other Gulf destinations  

Notwithstanding the above restriction, MSC maintains full booking capacity for shipments from Europe to ports in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Oman. For such consignments, the respective Gulf port may continue to serve as the port of discharge without limitation.  

Multimodal transit solution via KAP  

MSC confirms that eligible cargo—i.e., goods destined for non-Saudi Gulf markets—may still be routed through King Abdullah Port under an approved multimodal arrangement. Under this solution, containers arrive at KAP and are transported by road across Saudi Arabia to Dammam, where they connect with dedicated feeder services bound for ports in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq.  

Alternative routing options  

For cargo prohibited from transiting Saudi Arabian territory (e.g., due to regulatory, customs, or security restrictions), MSC offers alternative routing solutions on a case-by-case basis, subject to operational feasibility and compliance requirements.  

Implementation timeline  

MSC has not disclosed the duration of the current cargo acceptance arrangements; updates will be communicated in accordance with prevailing regulatory developments and commercial considerations.  

Resource.: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4KGsm6d_JrhLLRiN2smODA