Drivers of Port Competitiveness Among Low-, Upper-, and High-Income Countries

Abstract

This study empirically investigated the drivers of port competitiveness among low-, upper-, and high-income countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. It explored the effects of country-level competitiveness, logistic performance, and ease of doing business on port competitiveness for 17 countries from the region using a 14-item scale and covering the years 2010 to 2022. Port competitiveness indicators were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis to determine the research constructs’ validity. Structural path analysis was deployed to verify hypotheses concerning effects between conceptualized variables. The findings demonstrate that in high-income countries, an increase in country competitiveness notably enhances port sustainability and competitiveness. Conversely, in low-income countries, higher country competitiveness appears to diminish port competitiveness. For countries with average income, the association is relatively neutral, exhibiting a slight positive trend. This study explains the specific drivers and interactions that improve port sustainability and competitiveness as countries move from low- to high-income levels of development.