Latakia Port receives six new fifth-generation gantry cranes

Mazen Alloush, director of international relations and cooperation at the General Authority for Ports and Customs, said Latakia Port has received six new fifth-generation rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes. He said they arrived under the partnership with the global group CMA CGM and efforts to modernise handling equipment and strengthen the terminal's operating capacity.

Alloush told SANA on Wednesday that the new cranes are a qualitative addition to the terminal's work system because of their advanced operating technology. He said they help raise container handling efficiency, organise stacking and storage, and increase the capacity of the yards, as part of the project to develop and modernise the Latakia International Container Terminal (LICT).

Alloush added that the cranes will also speed up loading and unloading and shorten truck waiting times, which he said will improve the flow of logistics operations and raise productivity.

He said the arrival of the equipment follows a series of upgrades at the terminal, including rehabilitating operating infrastructure, developing quays and yards, and modernising gantry cranes and heavy equipment. The plan also focuses on making quays ready to receive ships, updating the handling and internal transport system, and improving operating procedures and coordination between departments.

Alloush said these steps are part of the authority's strategy to develop Syrian ports to international operating standards and to benefit from partnerships with specialised global companies. The port had recorded more than 3.7 million tonnes of general cargo and container goods handled through the end of September 2026.