HONG Kong-based shipping line OOCL has started operating container shipping services to and from King Abdullah port that is located in Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah economic city. The port enjoys a strategic location on one of the most important international maritime shipping lanes as well as integrated infrastructure and logistics services. It is located near the industrial valley, the bonded and re-export zone, and major Saudi cities such as Jeddah, Holy Makkah and Al Madinah, which combined constitute the main commercial centre in the kingdom. King Abdullah port is also situated within close proximity of Madinat Yanbu' as Sina'iyah, which is witnessing massive trade movement in the field of petrochemicals, and it is linked to a road network that facilitates the process of transporting goods by land to and from ships to Riyadh, Dammam and other cities in the Arabian Gulf, reported Hellenic Shipping News. Officially inaugurated last February by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Abdullah port was ranked the second fastest-growing port in the world in 2018 by Alphaliner. The port's throughput rose from 1.7 million TEU in 2017 to 2.3 million TEU in 2018. Run by the Ports Development Company, the port is the region's first maritime trade gateway to be fully owned, developed and operated by the private sector. It has been listed as one of the world's 100 largest ports after less than four years of operation. Ten of the largest shipping lines work at the port to offer integrated services to importers and exporters. The port's development plan is proceeding at a steady pace and it has a clear vision to become one of the world's leading ports, utilising its advanced facilities and proximity to the bonded and re-export zone and the logistics park.