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Red Sea Gateway Terminal and CMA CGM Group signed definitive agreements to jointly develop and operate Terminal 4 at Jeddah Islamic Port in collaboration with the Saudi Ports Authority, known as Mawani, the companies said in a joint statement. The project carries an initial investment of $434 million, equivalent to SAR 1.6 billion, and forms part of RSGT’s existing long-term concession at the facility. According to the announcement, the development will create a new state-of-the-art container terminal adjacent to RSGT’s current operations.
The expansion will introduce new deep-water berths capable of accommodating the world’s largest container vessels along with advanced terminal technologies and 10 ship-to-shore cranes, RSGT and CMA CGM stated. This infrastructure is designed to enhance productivity, efficiency and service reliability for customers throughout Saudi Arabia and the wider region. The companies described the initiative as one of the largest foreign direct investments in the kingdom’s maritime sector.
Terminal 4 will add up to 2.6 million TEUs of annual handling capacity at Jeddah Islamic Port, which the partners noted currently stands at approximately 6.2 million TEUs across its facilities. RSGT data indicates that its existing terminal complex accounts for nearly 40 percent of Saudi Arabia’s total container throughput, positioning the port as a critical Red Sea gateway for trade between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The announcement highlighted the project’s alignment with Saudi Arabia’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy.
The definitive agreements follow a term sheet that RSGT and CMA CGM signed in Riyadh in October 2025 during the Future Investment Initiative, when the planned investment was projected at around $450 million. In the latest statement, the partners characterized the $434 million figure as an initial commitment while declining to disclose details on construction timelines, opening dates or the final ownership structure. J.P. Morgan served as financial adviser to the transaction, according to separate reporting by Reuters.
Rodolphe Saade, chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, said in the statement, “As the global trade landscape continues to evolve and infrastructures need to expand and modernize, terminals are becoming increasingly strategic assets.” Aamer Abdullah Alireza, executive chairman of RSGT, added that the partnership represents a defining milestone for both RSGT and Saudi Arabia’s maritime sector while reflecting the kingdom’s ability to attract world-class international investors. Lars Vang Christensen, group CEO of RSGT, noted that the signing marks a significant milestone in the development of RSGT and Jeddah Islamic Port.
The agreements were formalized in Paris during a French-Saudi Investment Roundtable attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and French President Emmanuel Macron, multiple industry outlets reported. The investment arrives as Saudi Arabia advances its Vision 2030 program to diversify the economy beyond hydrocarbons through expanded logistics and tourism sectors. Reuters noted that the project also comes amid regional uncertainties affecting trade routes in the Middle East.
