Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH —The number of orders undertaken in the delivery sector surged 27.2 percentto more than 290 million during the year 2024 compared to the previous year of 2023.

The total number of active Saudi drivers in this vital sector has exceeded 140,000, marking a 21 percent increase compared to 2023, while the number of non-Saudi drivers exceeded 302,000, a five percent increase compared to 2023, it was revealed by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

According to the results of the 2024 warehousing and logistics statistics, published by GASTAT on Thursday, the average delivery time decreased from 45 to 35 minutes during the period. It was also revealed that the number of active logistics centers in the Kingdom increased to 23 in 2024, with a total area of 34.6 million square meters, compared to 22 centers in 2023.

The Makkah region recorded the largest area for logistics centers, with 20.4 million square meters distributed across six logistics centers. Logistics centers in 2024 were categorized into six types based on their use. Industrial cities ranked first with 15 centers, representing 44.1 percent of the total, followed by inland distribution centers with nine, and then port logistics centers with four.

The GASTAT report showed that the total number of licensed commercial warehouses in the Kingdom reached 12,200, with a total area of 22 million square meters. The Riyadh region had the highest number, with 6,763 commercial warehouses and a total area of 10.7 million square meters. The total number of construction warehouse licenses in the Kingdom reached 1,189, with a total area of 7.5 million square meters.

The total volume of inbound and outbound cargo transported via sea exceeded 331 million tons, while the volume of international cargo transported via land ports reached 25.7 million tons. The volume of domestic cargo transported by rail reached 15.6 million tons, and the volume of inbound, outbound, and transit cargo transported by air reached 1.2 million tons.

According to GASTAT, 2024 witnessed an increase in the number of valid customs clearance licenses at various ports of entry. The total number of licenses at seaports reached 1,179 by the end of the year, marking a 26.1 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. The number of valid licenses at land ports rose to 465, while at air ports, the number reached 722 by end of the year.

The report showed that the parcel and postal services sector also experienced significant growth in 2024, with the number of shipments exceeding 180 million, compared to over 140 million in 2023. The average delivery time for shipments reached two days, and the on-time delivery rate increased to 96 percent, compared to 94 percent in 2023.