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Saudi Ports Authority, SAR Sign Agreement to Boost Maritime, Rail Connectivity

Saudi Ports Authority, SAR Sign Agreement to Boost Maritime, Rail Connectivity
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Saudi Ports Authority, SAR Sign Agreement to Boost Maritime, Rail Connectivity

Saudi Ports Authority, SAR Sign Agreement to Boost Maritime, Rail Connectivity

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) and the Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) inked an agreement to bolster maritime and rail transportation connectivity, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.

This strategic alliance boosts the logistics at the industrial and commercial ports in the Kingdom, thus contributing significantly to the objectives outlined in the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) and aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

Mawani President Omar Hariri and SAR CEO Dr. Bashar bin Khaled Al-Malik signed the agreement at Mawani's headquarters in Riyadh.

The agreement will bolster the Kingdom's competitive edge and support trade by offering secure, sustainable transportation solutions that aim at reducing carbon emissions and improving the efficiency of logistical operations.

The initiative will contribute to solidifying Saudi Arabia's position as a leading global logistics hub effectively bridging three continents.

Mawani aspires to achieve seamless integration with SAR in container transport, bulk materials, and general cargo via rail to and from ports. SAR's extensive rail network, which connects major ports, such as King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail, Jubail Commercial Port, and Ras Al-Khair Port, plays a crucial role in this integration.

The partnership will improve the quality of service offered to exporters and importers by introducing innovative logistics services that make exports and imports transported by rail more efficient, and provide solutions to customers' logistics challenges.

The agreement also aims to assess user satisfaction with rail services and logistics support, and identify and implement improvements. It also entails collaboration in planning and executing marketing campaigns to promote rail transportation.

The goal is to transform the Kingdom into a critical logistics corridor between the East and the West.

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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)

Severe wildfire seasons are increasingly hurting western Canada's lucrative tourism industry, with some visitors beginning to avoid the busy late-summer months due to concerns about uncontrolled blazes, smoke-filled skies and road closures.

After a scorching start to July, nearly 600 wildfires are now ablaze across British Columbia and Alberta, including a huge fire that this week devastated the picturesque tourist town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

Dozens of communities, including popular holiday spots in British Columbia's Kootenay region, are under evacuation orders and several highways are closed.

This year's surge in wildfire activity comes after Canada endured its worst-ever year for wildfires in 2023, when more than 15 million hectares (37 million acres) burned, including parts of the city of West Kelowna in the heart of British Columbia's wine region.

Ellen Walker-Matthews, head of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, said the industry was seeing a lot more last-minute travel decisions instead of booking in advance.

"It's a huge blow. July and August are traditionally the busiest months in the region," said Walker-Matthews, adding that while her region has been relatively unscathed by wildfires this summer, some visitors are choosing to avoid interior British Columbia altogether.

The members of the British Columbia Lodging and Campgrounds Association are reporting a 5-15% drop in bookings from a year ago, with the biggest declines coming from the hotter Okanagan and Cariboo regions, said Joss Penny, who heads the association.

"The concern is that this is something we have to live with and we have it every year now," said Penny.

Although wildfires in Canada's forests are natural and common, scientists say drier, hotter conditions fueled by climate change are leading to more volatile and frequent blazes.

'SMOKEY SKIES'

Some events, like the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, usually held in August, have now been rescheduled to earlier in the summer to avoid what is now seen as peak smoke season. The festival, which was cancelled last year due to nearby wildfires, was this year moved to July to benefit from "less smokey skies."

Wildfires and extreme climatic events are prompting tourists to "change their plans not just temporarily, but permanently," said Elizabeth Halpenny, a tourism researcher and professor at the University of Alberta, noting that seasonal workers in the sector are often the hardest hit as they have few protections during a bad season or amid a cataclysmic fire.

Tourism contributed C$7.2 billion to the British Columbia economy in 2022, and C$9.9 billion to Alberta in 2023, according to the latest government data.

Jasper National Park is one of Canada's premier tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors a year flocking to see its pristine mountain landscapes and abundant wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose and elk.

Kelly Torrens, vice-president of product at international tour company Kensington Tours, described western Canada as a bucket-list destination. But the company now has 49 trips that were supposed to pass through Jasper this season in limbo. Six others were forced to evacuate the park when the fire hit.

Parks Canada has cancelled all camping reservations within Jasper National Park until Aug. 6 and with potentially 50% of the town's structures destroyed by fire, the cleanup and rebuild could take years.

Halpenny is among those hedging their bets.

"I've booked a campsite stay in the mountain parks but at the same time, I booked a campsite out on the prairie somewhere and that's my backup plan because I don't want to miss out on my vacation with my family."