Folk Maritime becomes Middle East’s first dry container fleet to deploy ORBCOMM®’s smart container technology

ORBCOMM, today announced that Folk Maritime Services Company has chosen ORBCOMM’s smart container monitoring technology to enable end-to-end supply chain visibility and enhanced cargo protection for their entire container fleet.

This partnership will make Folk Maritime—a feeder and regional liner services provider from Saudi Arabia—the first container shipping line from the Middle East to deploy a smart dry container fleet, showcasing their dedication to being at the forefront of digital innovation.

“We’re always looking to push the boundaries of what’s possible. ORBCOMM’s technology will enable us to further digitalize our shipping operations so we can solve logistical problems, optimize shipment tracking and improve our cargo integrity and protection,” says Mohamed Badawi, Folk Maritime’s Chief Operating Officer. “Plus, we’ll be able to improve environmental sustainability—which is deeply rooted in our DNA—by optimizing operations, routing and asset utilization to decrease energy use and carbon emissions.”

ORBCOMM’s dry container monitoring technology provides current and historical location reporting to help shipping lines increase asset visibility, streamline operations, boost sustainability, inform routing and more. With door sensors, Folk Maritime can strengthen container security by receiving alerts when doors have been opened or closed, empowering them to react quickly to prevent potential cargo damage or theft. This solution will enable Folk Maritime to track assets and cargo across the supply chain, delivering higher levels of visibility to their customers.

For Christian Allred, ORBCOMM’s Chief Commercial Officer, being a part of the Middle East’s first smart dry container deployment is an honor. “Folk Maritime is inspiring, having launched its operation in February 2024 and already showing immense dedication to supply chain digitalization,” says Allred.

“This collaboration further cements our position as industry leaders in smart container shipping solutions. We’re excited to see how our customers, and the maritime industry at large, continue to use our solutions to create a more sustainable and streamlined supply chain.”

With 30 years of industrial IoT innovation, ORBCOMM is the world’s largest dry and reefer container solutions provider. Since 2007, ORBCOMM has helped customers track and monitor 600,000 reefer containers and shipped over one million dry container devices in 2024 alone.