Latakia Port issues the first shipment of transit vehicles to Europe economy

The port of Latakia, northwest of Syria, began loading the first shipment of transit vehicles coming from the Emirates, in preparation for transporting it to European markets, in a step that reflects the growing logistical activity of Syrian ports.

The shipment includes more than 200 cars heading to European countries, including Spain and Belgium, as part of a transit route linking the Arabian Gulf to Europe via Syrian territory.

The director of the storage department at the port, Muhammad Abd al-Rahman, told the Syrian news agency, SANA, that this shipment is the first of its kind within this route, noting that it “reflects the strategic importance of the port of Latakia as a logistical station in the international trade movement.”

Transit activation

The Syrian official explained that the technical personnel completed the handling and processing operations efficiently, which enhances the chances of attracting more transit traffic, pointing out that the port’s activity also includes various goods, in addition to fuel shipments coming from Iraq and the Emirates.

On the other hand, the General Director of the Arab Shipping Company, Abdullah Al-Nabulsi, said that the company is working to expand its activity in the port by attracting new shipping lines, noting the introduction of Turkish and Chinese lines during the recent period, which contributed to providing alternatives to trade routes affected by global conditions.

He added to SANA that the port witnessed an increase in demand for transit services, with reservations for more than 6 ships carrying about 4,000 cars to and from the Gulf countries, in addition to shipments coming from Europe and North Africa.

Economic returns

Al-Nabulsi stressed that these operations generate direct revenues from ship fees and logistics services, as well as activating land transport through border crossings.

This comes after the arrival of the first transit container across Syrian territory from the port of Aqaba earlier this month, in an indication of the activation of regional transit routes.

At the end of last year, the Port of Latakia witnessed development operations that included infrastructure and equipment, as part of efforts to attract shipping lines and enhance its role as a regional logistics center.

In a related context, Syria Now’s correspondent in Daraa said that the Nassib border crossing between Syria and Jordan is witnessing the crossing of batches of cars coming from the UAE, to continue their route to the port of Latakia in order to export them to Europe.