Editing Transport in Saudi Arabia (section)

== Ports and waterways ==
[[File:Jeddah-seaport-saudiarabia.PNG|thumb|[[Jeddah Islamic Port]]]]

=== History and overview ===
Historically, the area that is now Saudi Arabia was situated close to one end of the [[Silk Road]], and the ports here made the many tribes in the region wealthy as they profited off the [[spice trade]]. Saudi Arabia is one of several [[List of countries without rivers|countries without any rivers]], however there are several [[wadi]]s spread throughout the country that fill up during the rainy season of winter. However, due to their unstable nature, they are neither classified nor used as [[waterway]]s. The [[Jeddah Islamic Port]] was the main gateway to pilgrims making the journey to the Islamic holy cities of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]] before the advent of [[jet aircraft]], and is said to have been given that status by the third [[Rashidun]] [[Rashidun Caliphate|caliph]], [[Uthman]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jeddah Islamic Port|url=http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/review/SAU_Jeddah_Islamic_Port_281.php|access-date=2020-08-19|website=World Port Source|archive-date=2020-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223125937/http://worldportsource.com/ports/review/SAU_Jeddah_Islamic_Port_281.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> One of the first ports built under the kingdom was located in [[Khobar]], and was used to transport [[petroleum]] to [[Bahrain]]. The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) was founded in 1976 as a government agency to oversee and maintain the kingdom's ports, and it currently maintains nine ports throughout the kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Introduction to the Ports Authority|url=https://www.ports.gov.sa/section/full_story.cfm?aid=74&catid=22|website=Saudi Ports Authority|access-date=2020-08-19|archive-date=2012-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220052406/http://www.ports.gov.sa/section/full_story.cfm?aid=74&catid=22|url-status=dead}}</ref> Several other ports are not maintained by Mawani but by other entities, such as the [[King Abdullah Port]] in the [[King Abdullah Economic City]] near [[Rabigh]].

=== Detail ===
Like all states in the [[Arabian Peninsula]], Saudi Arabia does not have any rivers or inland waterways. This has not stopped the kingdom from pursuing the development of a water transportation network, primarily constructed to support the transport of [[petrochemical]]s. The [[Saudi Ports Authority]] (Mawani) runs and manages the major ports in the country, overseeing their operations. There are some other ports in the kingdom managed by other entities, such as the [[King Abdullah Port]]. The largest port on the [[Persian Gulf]], the [[King Abdul Aziz Port|King Abdulaziz Port]], is located in [[Dammam]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=nationsonline.org|title=Map of the Persian Gulf|url=https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/Persian-Gulf-Map.htm|access-date=2020-08-19|website=Nations Online Project|language=en-us}}</ref>

=== Ports ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Ports managed by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani)
!Name
!City
!Located on
!Terminals
!Berths
!Capacity (containers)
!Area
|-
|[[King Fahad Industrial Port (Yanbu)|King Fahd Industrial Port]]
|[[Yanbu]]
|[[Red Sea]]
|3
|34
|210,000,000
|{{Cvt|50|sqkm||abbr=}}
|-
|[[Jeddah Islamic Port]]
|[[Jeddah]]
|[[Red Sea]]
|5
|62
|130,000,000
|{{Cvt|12|sqkm||abbr=}}
|-
|[[King Abdul Aziz Port|King Abdulaziz Port]]
|[[Dammam]]
|[[Persian Gulf]]
|4
|42
|105,480,000
|{{Cvt|4.3|sqkm||abbr=}}
|-
|[[King Fahad Industrial Port (Jubail)|King Fahd Industrial Port]]
|[[Jubail]]
|[[Persian Gulf]]
|5
|34
|70,000,000
|{{Cvt|2|sqkm||abbr=}}
|-
|Jubail Commercial Port
|[[Jubail]]
|[[Persian Gulf]]
|4
|16
|36,000,000
|{{Cvt|4.1|sqkm||abbr=}}
|-
|Ra's al-Khair Port
|[[Ras Al-Khair|Ra's al-Khair]]
|[[Persian Gulf]]
|5
|14
|35,000,000
|{{Cvt|19.2|sqkm||abbr=}}
|-
|[[Yanbu Commercial Port]]
|[[Yanbu]]
|[[Red Sea]]
|2
|12
|13,500,000
|{{Cvt|3.9|sqkm||abbr=}}
|-
|Duba Port
|[[Duba, Saudi Arabia|Duba]]
|[[Red Sea]]
|3
|6
|10,000,000
|{{Cvt|11.25|sqkm||abbr=}}
|-
|Jizan Port
|[[Jizan]]
|[[Red Sea]]
|1
|12
|5,000,000
|{{Cvt|4.3|sqkm||abbr=}}
|-
| colspan="7" |'''Sources:''' <ref>{{Cite web|last=Mawani|title=Saudi Ports Authority|url=https://mawani.gov.sa:443/en-us/Pages/default.aspx|access-date=2020-08-19|website=mawani.gov.sa|language=en}}</ref>
|}