Folk Maritime's new liner service to connect Arabian Gulf ports to India

Folk Maritime Services Company of Saudi Arabia has launched a new liner service connecting the Arabian Gulf ports of Dammam in Saudi Arabia and Umm Qasr in Iraq to India's large commercial ports of Mundra and Nhava Sheva.

The India Gulf Service had its first Dammam call on Wednesday, October 30, with the 1,800TEU vessel Asterios serving the route. The vessel will carry import cargo from India before proceeding to Umm Qasr.

The service, initially beginning as a 14-day service, will gradually ramp up to become weekly call by December.

The new route follows the launch of the India Red Sea service in September. Folk Maritime said both routes serve to strengthen trade ties with India, facilitating the movement of consumer goods, petrochemicals, and other essential commodities.

Folk Maritime earlier said that India’s largest commercial and container port, Mundra in Gujarat, is a major economic gateway serving the northern hinterland of India with multimodal connectivity. Meanwhile, Nhava Sheva port, located east of Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra, handles a significant portion of India’s containerised trade, and is the focal point of long-haul calls to and from the emerging market economy.