Morten Maersk makes first Saudi call on Gemini’s AE15 at Jeddah

SAUDI ARABIA – DP World’s South Container Terminal (SCT) at Jeddah Islamic Port has received the Morten Maersk on its maiden call, giving Saudi importers and exporters direct access to major Asian and Mediterranean ports through the AE15 Gemini Cooperation service, according to DP World.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd operate AE15 within their Gemini Cooperation network. Jeddah joined the rotation in August 2026 after Maersk confirmed the additional port call on July 13, 2026.

The carriers shifted AE15 through the Suez Canal in July 2026, replacing routing around the Cape of Good Hope.

AE15 service rotation

AE15 connects Jeddah with Qingdao, Kwangyang and Ningbo before vessels call at Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia. Port Said and Damietta provide Mediterranean connections before eastbound vessels continue through Colombo and Singapore.

Mohammad Alshaikh, CEO of DP World Saudi Arabia, described Jeddah as providing customers with “direct access to the world’s most important trade routes.”

Record terminal volumes

SCT handled more than 221,200 TEUs during July 2026, DP World’s highest monthly throughput in Jeddah since operations began at the terminal. Export volumes reached 79,720 TEUs during the same month, setting another terminal record.

First-half throughput increased nearly 79% year on year, while SCT handled 390 vessel calls. DP World handled more than 1.3 million TEUs at Jeddah during 2025, and shipping services had increased to 38 weekly calls by March 2026.

Capacity and equipment

DP World completed a US$800 million (AED 2.94 billion) expansion program at SCT during 2025, raising annual container capacity from 1.8 million TEUs to 4 million TEUs, with future equipment deployment providing a route towards 5 million TEUs.

Terminal infrastructure includes 2,150 meters of quay and an 18-meter deep-water berth. In addition, SCT can accommodate up to five ultra-large container vessels simultaneously.

Three additional quay cranes lifted the terminal fleet from 14 units to 17 during 2026, with DP World planning to raise that number to 22. DP World also deployed 35 electric terminal tractors in July 2026, increasing fleet capacity by more than 20%, with electrification expected to reduce related annual carbon emissions by about 20%.

Moreover, in February 2026, DP World and APM Terminals announced an agreement covering SCT, under which APM Terminals acquired a 37.5% minority interest.

Although APM Terminals operates as an independent subsidiary of A.P. Moller – Maersk, DP World retains a 62.5% majority stake and continues to lead terminal operations.

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