The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) unveiled a new strategy, which it said would mark a new phase in the Kingdom’s maritime transport and logistics sector.
The strategy will pave the way for developing a sustainable maritime sector and achieving the Kingdom’s transformation into a global logistics center, a statement by Mawani said on Monday.
Qualitative transformation
The new strategy aims to directly activate the objectives of the maritime transport sector in line with the national strategy for transport and logistics services, and to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
The statement noted that more than 160 projects would be launched in the coming years, in parallel with increasing in the port’s capacity to more than 40 million TEUs annually, raising the Kingdom’s market share of regional transshipment to 45 percent, and upgrading the port occupancy rate by 70 percent of its total capacity.
International ranking
The strategy aims to contribute to improving the Kingdom’s international classification in the UNCTAD Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI), as well as raising the Kingdom’s classification in the Logistics Performance Index to 4.01.
The new strategy, according to Mawani, will contribute to increasing the number of re-export logistics centers to 30, in addition to enhancing the Saudi Arabia’s classification in the cross-border trade index to the 35th place in the world by 2030.
Three pillars
Omar Hariri, President of the Saudi Ports Authority, stated that the launch of the new strategy reflects the importance of the sector as the main artery of the national economy.
He noted that Mawani’s strategy was based on three main pillars: enabling growth and innovation in the marine ecosystem in the Kingdom, enhancing the regulatory nature of the authority and its operating model, and ensuring an effective and reliable regulatory and commercial environment.
Women employment
Meanwhile, Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Engineer Saleh Al-Jasser inaugurated on Monday the first virtual employment exhibition for the transport and logistics system.
He said that the sector was working to launch four new employment tracks and programs: Empowering and expanding the field of women’s work in the sector, raising awareness on future professions related to modern transportation technologies, promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship, and improving the work of truck drivers.
One million job opportunities
The Saudi Transport minister noted that the national strategy would seek to raise the demand for the Saudi workforce and increase the supply of jobs that attract young men and women in the Kingdom in this vital sector, to reach one million job opportunities in 2030.