عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

Saudi Arabia, IMO Launch the NextWave Seafarers Project

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched the NextWave Seafarers pilot project - SPA
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched the NextWave Seafarers pilot project - SPA
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia, IMO Launch the NextWave Seafarers Project

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched the NextWave Seafarers pilot project - SPA
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched the NextWave Seafarers pilot project - SPA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the Transport General Authority (TGA) and Bahri, has launched the NextWave Seafarers pilot project at the IMO headquarters in London.

This came in collaboration with the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The project aims to train maritime academy cadets from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) while supporting advanced research and fostering international cooperation in this critical sector.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the IMO Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training, and Watchkeeping (HTW) meeting by Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the IMO Eng. Kamal Al-Junaidi and Director of the IMO’s Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division Dr. Jose Matheickal, SPA reported.
The project will be implemented between 2025 and 2026, with a total budget of approximately $700,000 (SAR2,625,000), focusing on capacity building. It aims to address the underrepresentation of seafarers from these regions in the global shipping workforce by providing hands-on training opportunities aboard Saudi vessels for maritime academy cadets from SIDS and LDCs. In its first phase, the project will provide 20 cadets from these countries with onboard training aboard Saudi vessels between 2025 and 2026, equipping them with practical experience and essential skills to kick-start their maritime careers. The initiative also seeks to strengthen collaboration between IMO member states and shipping companies, encouraging further international participation in similar programs.
Additionally, the project will conduct an international study to analyze the barriers faced by maritime students from SIDS and LDCs in entering the sector. These include limited access to sea-time training and challenges in meeting the required service time for certification.
The NextWave Seafarers project underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to supporting the maritime workforce, expanding training opportunities, and promoting capacity-building initiatives. It also aligns with the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance safety regulations, strengthen international shipping cooperation, and develop sustainable career pathways for maritime academy cadets.
Saudi Arabia envisions this project as a catalyst for positive change in the maritime sector by identifying and addressing challenges faced by seafarers from LDCs and SIDS. By investing in maritime training programs and fostering international partnerships, the Kingdom reaffirms its commitment to building a resilient and sustainable future for the shipping industry, supporting seafarers, improving global maritime standards, and ensuring the continued growth of this vital sector.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Auto Industry Rocked by Trump's 25% Tariffs on US Imports

New Toyota vehicles are stored at the Toyota Logistics Service Inc., an imports processing facility at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
New Toyota vehicles are stored at the Toyota Logistics Service Inc., an imports processing facility at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
TT
TT

Auto Industry Rocked by Trump's 25% Tariffs on US Imports

New Toyota vehicles are stored at the Toyota Logistics Service Inc., an imports processing facility at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
New Toyota vehicles are stored at the Toyota Logistics Service Inc., an imports processing facility at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

US automakers and their global rivals were rocked on Wednesday by President Donald Trump's announcement that he would impose 25% tariffs on all vehicles and foreign-made auto parts imported into the United States.
The new levies, if kept for an extended period, could add thousands of dollars to the cost of an average US vehicle purchase and impede car production across North America.
That will be because of the intertwined manufacturing operations developed by car makers across Canada, Mexico and the United States over the last three decades.
Nearly half of all cars sold in the US last year were imported, research firm GlobalData says, according to Reuters.
In response to the news, shares of General Motors slumped 8% in after-market trading. Shares in Ford and US-traded shares of Chrysler-parent Stellantis fell about 4.5% each.
In Asia, shares in Toyota Motor, Honda Motor and Hyundai Motor all fell between 3% and 4%.
Shares in Tesla, which makes all the cars sold in the United States locally but with some imported parts, were down 1.3%.
Trump said the duties announced on Wednesday could be a net neutral or even good for Tesla, adding that its CEO, and his close ally, Elon Musk, did not advise him regarding auto tariffs.
In a post on X following the news, Musk said the tariffs would also affect Tesla.
"This will affect the price of parts in Tesla cars that come from other countries," he wrote in another post on X. "The cost impact is not trivial."
The companies did not immediately return emails seeking comment.
Trump's tariffs and threats to impose them have sowed uncertainty in businesses and roiled global markets since he returned to the White House in January.
On Wednesday, Trump reiterated that he expected the auto tariffs to prompt automakers to boost investment in the United States, instead of Canada or Mexico.
Autos Drive America, a group representing major foreign automakers such as Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen , said the "tariffs imposed today will make it more expensive to produce and sell cars in the United States, ultimately leading to higher prices, fewer options for consumers, and fewer manufacturing jobs in the US."
Automakers in North America have largely enjoyed free trade status since 1994. Trump's 2020 US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) imposed new rules designed to spur regional content production.
After clamping tariffs of 25% on Mexico and Canada in early March, Trump allowed a one-month reprieve for vehicles produced in compliance with the terms of his USMCA, which benefited American companies.
The new rules do not extend that reprieve.
"Companies that have invested hundreds of millions and billions of dollars on plants in Canada and Mexico will likely see their profits cut dramatically over the next few quarters, if not into a couple years," said Sam Fiorani, analyst at AutoForecast Solutions.
"We're going to look at adjusting our sales and production forecasts because this will throw everything into chaos."
The White House said that 25% tariffs on automotive parts imported to the US would take effect no later than May 3, taxing key items such as engines, transmissions, powertrain parts, and electrical components.
Importers of automobiles under the USMCA will get the chance to certify their US content so that only non-US content is taxed, the White House said.
Before the unveiling of the new tariffs, Cox Automotive, an automotive services provider, predicted they would add $3,000 to the cost of a US-made vehicle and $6,000 on vehicles made in Canada or Mexico, without exemptions.
If tariffs go through, by mid-April Cox expects disruption to "virtually all" North American vehicle output, leading to 20,000 fewer vehicles a day, or a hit of about 30% to production.
The United Auto Workers union, which represents factory workers at Big Three Detroit automakers, praised Trump's action.
"With these tariffs, thousands of good-paying blue collar auto jobs could be brought back to working-class communities across the United States within a matter of months, simply by adding additional shifts or lines in a number of underutilized auto plants," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement.