Saudi Arabia’s Involvement in the Maritime Industry

Saudi Arabia has an impressive presence in the global sustainable maritime industry.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, August 30, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a distinctive and strategic location linking the east and the west, where it overlooks the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf with a coastal length of approximately 3,400 km. It also overlooks two of the most important straits with great economic importance in the eastern and western coasts. The Red Sea is a vital sea line for global maritime trade and shipping and is one of the most important shipping lanes which constitutes more than 13% of global trade. On the eastern side of the Kingdom, approximately 20% of the world’s energy passes to the global markets, the share of such energy originating from the Kingdom’s ports.

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joined the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1969 and has been an outstanding contributor for the past 54 years. In 2021 it was elected as a Council Member. During its time as a Council Member, Saudi Arabia continues to actively participate in all meetings of the IMO’s Council, the General Assembly, and all the main committees and remaining sub-committees.

The Kingdom signed more than 40 conventions and protocols of the IMO and is committed to implementing them and is continually evaluating the accession to the other IMO’s conventions and protocols. The Kingdom was the 1st Arab country to be audited by the IMO by using the hybrid method, and this was done successfully during the year 2022. Never the less, Proudly, the kingdom has accomplished another feat: it is the 1st country in the Middle East to receive the USCG Certificate for meeting strenuous requirements to earn the “Quality Shipping in the 21st Century” award.

Saudi Arabia is an important partner with IMO CARES, GloFouling, GloLitter and GloNoise, research and development, and fosters technology collaborations serving as a bridge between the global north and west. GloFouling is a global initiative designed to tackle the transfer of detrimental aquatic species caused by biofouling in developing regions worldwide. GloLitter’s ambitious goal is to achieve zero plastic waste in the sea from ships by 2025. GloNoise aims to reduce noise emitted by commercial shipping that harms marine life and the livelihoods of coastal communities. Other projects Saudi Arabia is involved in include the continuation of the IMSO (International Mobile Satellite Organization) LRIT (Long Range Identification and Tracking of Ships). When ships are identified and tracked shipping security is enhanced, safety is increased and the marine environment is protected. The Kingdom is also committed to education in extending support to the WMU (World Maritime University) which offers special postgraduate programs and distance learning and the IMLI (International Maritime Law Institute) which trains specialists in international maritime law.

Additionally, KSA was the 14th IMO member state to accept the 2021 IMO Convention Amendments. Once ratified, it will expand council membership from 40 to 52, recognize three more language texts (including Arabic) as authentic versions of the convention and extend Council Membership from 2 to 4 years.

Other achievements include a phenomenal growth rate of more than 77% since 2016 . The Kingdom was ranked 1st in the Arab world and 20th globally in tonnage. Currently, Saudi Arabia boasts 13 commercial and industrial ports on the eastern and western coasts. Its well-equipped, technologically advanced ports: Jeddah, King Abdullah and King Abdul Aziz are listed in the top 100 ports in the world. It is highly ranked by UNCTAD which helps developing countries participate more equitably in the global economy. The Kingdom placed 16th in UNCTAD’s Maritime Connectivity index and its fleet ranked 20th globally.

Another significant achievement in 2023 was 14.6 million metric tons in deadweight tonnage. Furthermore, the Kingdom is ranked 5th in the world in terms of processing container ships. With an eye to the future Saudi Arabia has launched the Smart Ports initiative to expand services provided in Saudi ports. It has doubled from 46 services and has an investment value exceeding one billion riyals. Heavy investment in digitalization of the shipping sector will reap benefits in enhancing efficiency both in port and onboard ship, improving safety and security, enabling real-time tracking systems, making trade processes seamless, promoting environmental sustainability and using data-driven decision-making.

In the area of logistics Saudi Arabia has established seven integrated logistics areas with an investment value of more than two billion Saudi riyals. Moreover, this has created more than 6,000 job opportunities and 14 investment opportunities for the private sector including the development and operation of multi-purpose terminals.

Saudi Arabia is interested not only in growing economically, but also understands the need to protect the environment on land and in the sea. For this reason it has joined the Global Oceans Alliance to eliminate Plastic Waste in oceans and beaches. It has also created an investment fund to offer clean energy solutions.

Next month from September 4 – 6 the TGA is excited to host “Sustainable Maritime Industry Conference” in Jeddah at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The theme conference will be “Innovation for a Greener Future”. There will be four main topics: sustainability, innovation and digitization, new technologies and capacity building discussed by panels of 4 world renown experts plus a moderator. Thought-provoking workshops led by maritime industry leaders will tackle topics such as: Digitization Journey, Autonomous Ships and Sustainable Fuel, to name but a few. Come learn from world class speakers sharing their knowledge and experience with cutting-edge technologies. We welcome participation as either a visitor, speaker, sponsor or exhibitor by following this link to register: https://saudi-smic.com

About Transport General Authority
TGA is a leading government organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development, fostering innovation and driving positive change across various industries in Saudi Arabia. With a commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility, TGA strives to create platforms for knowledge sharing and collaboration to build a sustainable future for all of us.

Abdullah
Saudi Transport General Authority
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