The fourth edition of the Saudi Maritime Congress, the Kingdom’s largest and most important global maritime event, has successfully opened its doors at the Dhahran Expo in Dammam.
Several senior officials and representatives from leading international tech companies attended the event on Wednesday.
Under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, the President of MAWANI, Omar Hariri, and CEO of Bahri Ahmed al-Subaey officially inaugurated the opening ceremony with keynote addresses at the two-day event.
The event is supported by founding strategic partners Bahri & Seatrade Maritime, with prominent partners MAWANI & Transport General Authority (TGA) and strategic partners Saudi Aramco and IMI.
Deputy for Maritime Transport at the Transport General Authority Abdulrahman al-Thonayan stated that the Saudi Maritime Conference is being held when the maritime transport industry is experiencing significant changes and developments.
Al-Thonayan underscored the importance of keeping pace with these changes and enhancing cooperation and collaboration among all countries worldwide to achieve common goals in this critical industry.
The conference will also address pressing issues and tackle the challenges facing the maritime sector in Saudi Arabia, he said.
- Showcase of Products and Services
Al-Thonayan highlighted that the conference serves as a crucial platform, bringing together key regional technological companies in the maritime sector to showcase their latest products and services to conference attendees and visitors, thus adding value to the event and its accompanying exhibition.
Also at the conference, the Group Director of organizer Seatrade Maritime, Chris Morley, announced that day one has been what the company hoped for and more.
“We were anticipating a great day based on the pre-registration figures, which far exceeded previous editions. The event has been really exciting and reflects the eagerness of the global industry to be part of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to developing its maritime trade and doing business on an international scale,” Morley indicated.
Morley noted that Saudi Arabia scored the highest regional progress in the Maritime Connectivity Index in 2021 and ranked 20th globally in the maritime transport industry.
- Discussion Sessions
Day one saw broad participation in discussion sessions with a selection of international experts addressing crucial topics for the maritime sector.
Bahri and MAWANI signed two strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) deals on the show floor.
The Saudi maritime sector now has 53,000 ships operating within its borders, is registered in 150+ countries, and carries 11 billion tons of cargo annually, making Riyadh a robust and promising regional and global trade partner.
Day two of the conference agenda includes several activities and events, starting with a session on “Energy Transition and the Strategy for Sustainability in the KSA and GCC – Outlook for Investment and Business in the Region.”
Saudi Arabia focuses more on developing a circular carbon economy (CCE), which essentially seeks to reduce, reuse, recycle, and remove carbon to keep its hydrocarbon industry relevant.
The session explores developments and opportunities for key partners in this field.
