Saudi Arabia's NEOM Port T1 Terminal Capacity Ramp-Up Extended to 2027

en.Wedoany.com Reported - According to a project update released on August 25, the T1 container terminal at Saudi Arabia's NEOM Port is scheduled for phased commissioning in 2026, with full-scale operations and capacity ramp-up extending into 2027. The terminal, designed with an annual handling capacity of 1.5 million TEUs, is currently in the stages of expansion, equipment installation, and automation system commissioning.

The T1 terminal features a 900-meter berth line, with an approach channel 550 meters wide and 18.5 meters deep, capable of accommodating large container vessels transiting the Suez Canal. The terminal will be equipped with automated quay cranes, electric rubber-tired gantry cranes, and a horizontal transport system, with remote control and digital dispatch systems also integrated into the operational framework.

NEOM initially proposed in 2023 to launch its first advanced container terminal in 2025. In June 2025, the project team adjusted the commissioning target for the T1 terminal to 2026, completing works such as the 900-meter quay wall and the 18.5-meter-deep navigation channel, with the first batch of automated quay cranes and electric yard cranes subsequently arriving at the port area. The latest schedule further extends the throughput ramp-up phase into 2027.

The existing NEOM Port already handles general cargo, project cargo, bulk cargo, warehousing, and roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) operations, which fall outside the operational scope of the new T1 container terminal. According to Kpler data, as of April 2026, the port had not yet developed large-scale container activity, with existing vessel operations primarily focused on RoRo transport; the T1 terminal will undertake subsequent automated container handling capabilities.

NEOM Port is located on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, converted from the former Duba Port and transferred to NEOM management in 2022. The project team confirmed in 2023 that investments exceeding SAR 7.5 billion had been committed to the first-phase redesign and expansion of the port, covering the container terminal, warehousing, rail connectivity, energy systems, channel dredging, and shoreline works. Following the phased commissioning of the T1 terminal, equipment integration testing and operational capability enhancement will continue, advancing toward higher throughput levels by 2027.