COSCO Shipping and OOCL launch a direct weekly service from Xiamen to Jeddah, enhancing connectivity and supporting regional trade.
The RES4 China-Red Sea premium weekly service, jointly operated by COSCO Shipping and OOCL, has officially commenced operations, introducing a new direct deep-sea trunk route linking Xiamen to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Calling at five major ports -- Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Nansha, and Jeddah -- the service delivers consistent, regularized weekly sailings on a sustained basis.
The launch of this route directly addresses a longstanding capacity gap in Xiamen Port's direct connectivity to the Middle East. Beyond securing schedule reliability and stable slot supply, the service actively consolidates local export cargo, reinforcing the port's commercial position. Supported by integrated sea-rail intermodal infrastructure, the route extends its reach into inland hinterlands including Jiangxi and Hunan provinces, providing those regions with an efficient and accessible gateway to global markets. This development strengthens the strategic configuration of Xiamen Port's deep-sea route network and amplifies the port's capacity to drive and support the broader foreign trade industry.
Statistical data underscores the port's expanding scale: Xiamen Port currently operates 182 container shipping routes. From January to July 2026, the port recorded a cumulative container throughput of 7.07137 million TEUs, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.25%.
Looking ahead, Xiamen Port will continue to intensify and expand its global direct deep-sea route coverage, refine its multimodal land-sea transport ecosystem, and deliver robust support for the high-quality development of regional foreign trade -- reinforcing its position as a pivotal node in the international logistics network.