Folk Maritime launches new liner service
Folk Maritime’s New Liner Service Boosts Trade Between India and Saudi Arabia
Folk Maritime has announced a brand-new shipping service that will connect Jeddah Islamic Port in Saudi Arabia with two of the busiest ports in India—Mundra and Nhava Sheva. This new service will begin in September and is part of a special partnership with Oman’s Asyad Line. The two companies will work together under what is called a Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA). This means they will share the use of ships to help each other with the delivery of goods. Folk Maritime plans to use an 1800 TEU vessel (TEU means how many containers a ship can carry) for this route.
The new service will run with two ships and will operate every 10 days. This frequent schedule will make it easier for businesses in both India and Saudi Arabia to send and receive products. On the way from India to Saudi Arabia, the ships will carry everyday products that people use. On the way back from Saudi Arabia to India, the ships will transport petrochemicals and other items.
Folk Maritime’s CEO, Poul Hestbaek, announced the new service, called the “India Red Sea Service” (IRS). He said, “This new route will help increase trade between Saudi Arabia and India. We want to become one of the top companies for maritime services in this region.”
Folk Maritime is not new to this region. It already has two other shipping routes in the Red Sea. One of these connects Jeddah with Neom and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia and also travels to Sokhna in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan. The second route links Jeddah to Port Sudan in Africa.
To make its services even stronger, Folk Maritime recently bought its very first ship, called the Folk Jeddah. This ship is 172 meters long and was built in 2023. It can carry 1,868 containers and also has special plugs for 230 refrigerated containers, which are used to transport items like fruits, vegetables, and medicines that need to stay cold. The ship will sail under the Saudi Arabian flag, showing its connection to the country.
With these new developments, Folk Maritime is aiming to play a big role in trade between Saudi Arabia and other countries, especially India. This new service is a step towards making shipping faster, easier, and more reliable for businesses in both countries.
