First shipment from Tripoli to the Gulf since the closure of Syrian-Jordanian borders

The transport crisis to the Gulf provoked by the recent closure of the Syrian Jordanian borders is practically on its way to be resolved. According to As Safir newspaper issue of today, the first transport ship embarked two days ago from the Port of Tripoli carrying 60 refrigerated and normal trucks to Saudi Arabia, on board were 25 Arab registered and 35 Lebanese owned trucks. After two months of crisis and two weeks since the return of some of the trucks stranded in Saudi Arabic, the Mid Bridge container vessel left Tripoli to KSA as a first trial for the new proposed shipping line. The ship which has carried the trucks has entered the northern port few days ago but was delayed by the protesting Lebanese truckers. However, after intensive negotiations with the truck drivers the first pilot RO-RO shipping mission was able to sail. This pilot operation came as a result of the collaboration between the General Directorate of Maritime Transport, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Tripoli, the North and Lebanon’s Refrigerated Truckers Syndicate and the Tripoli Port Administration. Focus has now moved towards finalizing all administrative procedures to transform the maritime line into a permanent one. (Safir, 19 May 2015)