The Jacksonville Port Authority this week marked the first vessel call from Bahri General Cargo, formerly known as the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia.
The Bahri Abra called on JaxPort's Blount Island Marine Terminal to load vehicles and other cargoes head to the Middle East.
In March, Bahri and JaxPort announced regular service among Jacksonville, the Middle East, Africa and Indian sub-continent regions, with Bahri officials saying the JaxPort addition allows access to larger markets and assist in its vessel utilization.
"The addition of Bahri to our growing list of customers is another indication of JaxPort's reputation globally and the major efficiencies and economies we offer the industry," said Roy Schleicher, JaxPort interim CEO.
The Bahri Abra is the first of six new multipurpose cargo vessels the company has placed into service to U.S. East Coast and Arabian Gulf port.
Baltimore, Houston, Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S.C., Wilmington, N.C. and New York are other U.S. cities on the company's current itinerary.