Six Cranes Reach Latakia
Syria's main Mediterranean port at Latakia has taken delivery of six new fifth-generation rubber-tyred gantry cranes for its container terminal, officials announced on 21 October 2026. The equipment forms part of a wider upgrade of the Latakia International Container Terminal, which is operated under a partnership with the global shipping group CMA CGM.
The arrival was detailed by Mazen Alloush, director of the international relations and cooperation department at the General Authority for Ports and Customs, who described the cranes as a step toward modernizing the terminal's handling fleet.
Faster Cargo Handling
The gantry cranes are intended to raise container-handling efficiency and speed up loading and unloading at the quay. According to the authority, the machines will improve container stacking and storage while expanding the working capacity of the yard.
The upgrade is also meant to shorten the time trucks spend waiting at the port and to ease the flow of goods through the terminal, bringing day-to-day operations closer to international standards.
Volumes Through September
The new equipment lands after a year of steady traffic at the port. Latakia handled more than 3.7 million tons of general and container cargo through the end of September 2026, figures released alongside the announcement show.
Container terminals rely on gantry cranes to move boxes between ships, yards and trucks, so the capacity of this equipment sets a practical ceiling on how much cargo a port can process in a day.
A Regional Gateway
Officials framed the overhaul as part of an effort to position Latakia as a trade gateway for Syria and the surrounding region. Expanded capacity at the country's principal container port is a precondition for the larger import and export flows that any sustained economic recovery would bring.
The terminal's modernization is proceeding under the partnership with CMA CGM that governs the Latakia International Container Terminal.