Saudi Arabia’s maritime sector is working toward making the Kingdom a regional logistics hub and a pioneer in the transport sector, participants at the Saudi Maritime Congress in Riyadh were told.
The Saudi Maritime Congress concluded on Tuesday, following a two-day event in Riyadh dedicated to discussions in the Maritime logistics and shipping sectors.
In its second edition, the congress offered a platform for Saudi companies in the maritime transport sector and their international counterparts to explore mutual business opportunities, with Saudi Arabia considered a key player in the field, keeping in mind its geographical location.
Present at the congress was Rayan Qutub, CEO of the King Abdullah Port Project, which has witnessed investments worth more than $10.7 billion (40 billion riyals) and is contributing in increasing Saudi exports to more than $160 billion (600 billion riyals) by 2030.
According to Qutub, the congress “gives momentum” to the maritime sector in line with Vision 2030, which greatly depends on maritime logistics.
“We look forward to placing the Kingdom in the 25th position globally on the Logistic Performance Index,” he said.
The King Abdullah Port is the first port in the region fully-owned, developed and managed by the private sector. Classified as the fastest growing container port, it was listed as one of the world’s largest ports, less than 4 years after its launch.
Meanwhile, Minister of Transport Nabil al-Amoudi stressed the importance of developing the maritime industry in order to expand the logistics services in the Kingdom.
“The Kingdom has a unique geographical location, overlooking the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. Hence, it is important to develop the maritime industry to advance in logistics services,” he said.
Al-Amoudi shed light on some of the maritime sector’s achievements, including increasing the capacity of ports to 612 tons a year, and the development of the King Salman Complex for Marine Industries in Ras al-Khair under the supervision of Saudi Aramco.
“All these achievements serve the purpose of developing and advancing the maritime sector, enhancing the logistics services in the Kingdom and reaching the top regional position in the logistics sector,” he added.
BY ALARABIYA NET
