TGA: 26 Million Ramadan Shipments, 18% Growth

Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority (TGA) announced that licensed parcel transport companies delivered more than 26 million shipments and postal parcels during Ramadan 1446 AH, an 18 percent increase compared with the same period last year. The figures, released through the Saudi Press Agency, confirm the Kingdom’s logistics sector as one of the fastest-growing in the region and underline its readiness to absorb sharp seasonal surges in e-commerce and personal deliveries.

The announcement carries weight well beyond a single month of strong numbers. It arrives as Saudi Arabia accelerates the build-out of a national transport and logistics network designed to position the country as a global hub connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa. For international observers, the Ramadan results offer a concrete measure of how quickly that network is maturing — and how effectively licensed operators are translating public investment into everyday service. What does a record delivery season tell us about the direction of the Kingdom’s wider economic transformation?

Context and Background

Ramadan is the busiest period of the year for parcel and postal operators across the Gulf. Families exchange gifts, charities distribute food and supplies, and online shopping peaks as consumers prepare for Eid al-Fitr. In Saudi Arabia, that seasonal rhythm now plays out against a rapidly expanding digital economy, in which e-commerce platforms, food delivery apps, and direct-to-consumer brands all depend on reliable last-mile logistics. The Transport General Authority, the government body responsible for regulating land and maritime transport and postal services, has spent recent years tightening licensing standards, encouraging competition, and improving the reliability of delivery networks nationwide.

The comparison across three consecutive Ramadans illustrates the pace of change. Approximately 14 million shipments were delivered in Ramadan 1444 AH (2023), rising to about 22 million in Ramadan 1445 AH (2024), and now exceeding 26 million in Ramadan 1446 AH (2025). That trajectory represents an overall increase of more than 86 percent in just two years — a rate of growth rarely seen in mature logistics markets. It reflects both rising consumer demand and the expanding capacity of the sector to meet it. How many other economies can point to such sustained double-digit expansion in parcel volumes over the same window?

The TGA has attributed the outcome to integrated efforts across government, strong partnerships with public agencies, and the participation of more than 70 licensed companies. Those operators followed detailed operational plans drawn up for peak seasons, scaling up fleets, sorting capacity, and customer service teams in advance of the holy month. The result was a delivery system that held steady under pressure rather than buckling, a sign that regulatory planning and private-sector execution are moving in step.

Key Details

The headline figure — more than 26 million shipments and postal parcels during Ramadan 1446 AH — represents an 18 percent increase over the same period last year. The single busiest day fell on the 24th of Ramadan, when deliveries surpassed 1.1 million shipments within 24 hours. That daily record is significant because it tests the outer limits of sorting facilities, courier fleets, and digital tracking systems simultaneously. Achieving it without reported disruption points to genuine operational depth rather than a one-off spike.

More than 70 licensed parcel transport companies took part in the Ramadan operation, working under frameworks set by the Transport General Authority. The authority credited their adherence to pre-approved operational plans, combined with coordination among government agencies, for the smooth handling of demand peaks. This regulatory model — in which licensed private firms compete on service quality while following common standards — has become a hallmark of Saudi Arabia’s approach to building a modern logistics market. It also gives consumers confidence that rapid growth will not come at the expense of reliability.

The numbers also reveal how deeply e-commerce has embedded itself in Saudi daily life. A delivery volume of 26 million items in a single month implies millions of individual transactions across urban centres such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, as well as growing penetration in secondary cities and rural areas. Each shipment represents a link in a chain that includes warehouses, sorting hubs, road networks, and digital platforms — the same infrastructure that will underpin the Kingdom’s ambitions as a trade and transit corridor. What happens to those networks when they are tested not by a holiday season but by the demands of continental trade?

International and Regional Impact

For regional neighbours and global logistics operators, Saudi Arabia’s Ramadan performance is a signal about where capacity is being built. The Gulf’s parcel market has expanded rapidly over the past decade, but the Kingdom’s scale — a population of more than 32 million and a landmass spanning key Red Sea and Arabian Gulf corridors — makes its growth trajectory particularly consequential. International courier groups, warehouse developers, and technology providers are watching Saudi demand closely as they plan investments across the Middle East.

The 18 percent year-on-year increase also reinforces the Kingdom’s position within global supply chains that are being reconfigured by e-commerce and shifting trade patterns. Saudi ports on the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf are being upgraded to handle larger container volumes, while air cargo links are expanding. A domestic delivery sector capable of moving more than a million parcels a day at peak times demonstrates the kind of last-mile competence that multinational retailers look for when deciding where to localise fulfilment operations. Doesn’t that make the Ramadan figures a leading indicator of wider commercial interest in the Kingdom?

Within the region, the results also support Saudi Arabia’s role as a provider of logistics services beyond its borders. As Gulf economies diversify away from hydrocarbons, cross-border parcel flows — driven by online marketplaces, remittances, and small-business exports — are becoming a meaningful component of non-oil trade. The Transport General Authority’s oversight of licensed operators helps ensure that these flows move through formal, trackable channels, which in turn supports customs efficiency and consumer protection.

Economic and Strategic Significance

The economic significance of the Ramadan milestone lies in what it validates. Delivery volumes of this scale confirm that Saudi consumers have adopted digital commerce at a pace that justifies continued investment in warehouses, automated sorting equipment, electric and low-emission delivery fleets, and the software platforms that coordinate them. Each of those investment categories creates skilled jobs and local supply-chain opportunities, feeding directly into the Kingdom’s diversification agenda.

Strategically, a high-functioning parcel network is a prerequisite for the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to make Saudi Arabia a leading global logistics hub by 2030. That strategy depends on linking ports, railways, airports, and road corridors into a single integrated system. Last-mile delivery is the final link in that chain, and its reliability determines whether businesses and consumers experience the network as world-class. The TGA’s Ramadan data suggests the final link is holding firm even under seasonal stress. How much more trade can flow through a system that has already proven it can handle a million deliveries a day?

The growth also has implications for small and medium-sized enterprises, which increasingly rely on parcel networks to reach customers nationwide without maintaining physical stores. By expanding the reach of licensed delivery services, the sector lowers barriers to market entry and supports the government’s efforts to grow the private sector’s contribution to the economy. That dynamic is visible in the rising number of online-only Saudi brands and in the willingness of international platforms to invest in local fulfilment capacity.

Vision 2030 Alignment

The Ramadan delivery results align closely with Saudi Vision 2030, the national transformation programme launched under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Vision 2030 seeks to diversify the economy, expand non-oil revenues, and improve quality of life for citizens and residents. A modern, efficient logistics sector contributes to all three goals: it enables commerce, attracts foreign investment, and makes everyday life more convenient for households across the Kingdom.

The Transport General Authority’s role in licensing and coordinating more than 70 parcel companies reflects the Vision 2030 emphasis on effective governance and private-sector participation. By setting standards, monitoring peak-season readiness, and encouraging competition, the authority helps ensure that growth in delivery volumes translates into better service rather than congestion. As the Kingdom continues to build ports, railways, and digital infrastructure, the Ramadan figures stand as evidence that the foundations of a world-class logistics economy are already in place — and that the system can scale as Vision 2030 targets come into view. What better proof of progress could there be than a network that delivers more than a million parcels in a single day during the holiest month of the year?

20 Questions

Q1. What did the Transport General Authority announce?

A1. The Transport General Authority announced that licensed parcel transport companies delivered more than 26 million shipments and postal parcels during Ramadan 1446 AH, reflecting an 18 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

Q2. How many shipments were delivered during Ramadan 1446 AH?

A2. More than 26 million shipments and postal parcels were delivered by licensed companies during Ramadan 1446 AH, according to the official announcement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

Q3. What was the percentage growth compared with the previous year?

A3. The Transport General Authority reported an 18 percent increase compared with Ramadan 1445 AH, when approximately 22 million shipments were delivered across the Kingdom.

Q4. When was the highest daily delivery rate recorded?

A4. The highest daily delivery rate was recorded on the 24th of Ramadan, when deliveries surpassed 1.1 million shipments within a single 24-hour period.

Q5. How many shipments were delivered in Ramadan 1445 AH?

A5. Approximately 22 million shipments were delivered during Ramadan 1445 AH in 2024, according to figures released by the Transport General Authority.

Q6. How many shipments were delivered in Ramadan 1444 AH?

A6. About 14 million shipments were delivered during Ramadan 1444 AH in 2023, marking the starting point of a rapid two-year expansion in parcel volumes.

Q7. What is the total growth over two years?

A7. The Transport General Authority noted an overall increase of more than 86 percent in parcel deliveries between Ramadan 1444 AH and Ramadan 1446 AH.

Q8. How many licensed companies participated in the Ramadan operation?

A8. More than 70 licensed parcel transport companies took part, following operational plans designed to handle peak seasonal demand efficiently and reliably.

Q9. What did the Transport General Authority attribute the success to?

A9. The authority attributed the achievement to integrated efforts, strong partnerships with government agencies, and the commitment of licensed companies to their operational plans during peak seasons.

Q10. What does the growth say about Saudi Arabia’s logistics sector?

A10. It highlights the efficiency and operational readiness of the Kingdom’s logistics sector and its ability to align with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.

Q11. Which strategy does the achievement support?

A11. The achievement supports the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to position Saudi Arabia as a leading global logistics hub by 2030.

Q12. Why is Ramadan a peak period for deliveries?

A12. Ramadan sees increased gifting, charitable distribution, and online shopping ahead of Eid al-Fitr, driving parcel volumes sharply higher across the Kingdom.

Q13. What does the 1.1 million daily figure demonstrate?

A13. It demonstrates the sector’s operational readiness and its capacity to handle seasonal surges in demand without compromising service quality or delivery timelines.

Q14. How does this relate to Vision 2030?

A14. Vision 2030 seeks economic diversification and improved quality of life; a modern logistics sector supports both by enabling commerce and attracting investment.

Q15. What role does the Transport General Authority play?

A15. The Transport General Authority regulates land and maritime transport and postal services, licenses operators, and coordinates peak-season planning across the sector.

Q16. How does this benefit consumers in Saudi Arabia?

A16. Reliable, high-capacity delivery networks give consumers faster service, wider product choice, and dependable delivery during the busiest shopping periods of the year.

Q17. What does the growth mean for e-commerce?

A17. It confirms that e-commerce has become deeply embedded in Saudi daily life and that logistics capacity is expanding to match rising digital demand.

Q18. Are international operators paying attention?

A18. Yes, global logistics and retail groups monitor Saudi parcel volumes closely when planning fulfilment investments across the Middle East region.

Q19. What infrastructure supports these delivery volumes?

A19. Warehouses, sorting hubs, road networks, digital tracking platforms, and expanding port and air cargo links across the Kingdom support these volumes.

Q20. What is the outlook for the sector?

A20. With continued investment and regulatory support, the sector is expected to keep expanding as Saudi Arabia advances toward its Vision 2030 logistics and diversification goals.

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