The Transport General Authority, in cooperation with Saudi ports authority and General Directorate of Border Guard, celebrates World Maritime Day, marked on September every year. The Transport General Authority and its partners express their celebration through a marine march that launches a number of boats and marine yachts along the Red Sea coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as the eastern coast. This maritime march includes a military parade formed by the Saudi border guards, and this is also accompanied by a virtual meeting organized by The Transport General Authority via video call, with the participation of speakers from several governmental and private agencies involved in the maritime transport industry in the Kingdom. In this meeting, they discuss important topics regarding the maritime system and the most prominent developments in this field.

These efforts are combined to honor more than 220 Saudi sailors who had a great role and a distinguished impact in supporting the movement of trade and the flow of basic commodities, food security and the national economy. Despite all the challenges and circumstances, the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) did not deter them from exerting their efforts and their tangible role during the past year until now to confirm the value of the work they provide in order to secure the life requirements of all societies. 

Therefore, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) launched the World Maritime Day in 1978, under the auspices of the United Nations, to support workers in the maritime transport industry and promote this vital and strategic sector, which runs most of the world’s goods and trade, 90% of which is via ships and marine tankers, with the efforts of more than two million sailors worldwide. 

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participates in international efforts to preserve the maritime transport sector and industry, as it was one of the first countries to join the International Maritime Organization. The Kingdom joined the organization in 1969, and it has a pioneering role and tangible effort to enhance security and safety of navigation and maritime transport, contributing to the development of solutions and strategies to address all issues and challenges facing the progress and growth of the global maritime transport industry. 

In line with that interest, three agreements were recently signed in the presence of the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United Kingdom, His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan, to support initiatives concerned with the protection and development of the marine environment. These agreements were signed by His Excellency the Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Public Authority for Transport, and the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Kitak Lam, in line with the objectives of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistic Services and to achieve the Kingdom's Vision 2030. 

These initiatives, recently signed in London, focus on protecting marine systems from paint used on the hull of ships, limiting the use of some types of paint that may harm marine life, especially parts of ships submerged in water, protecting the marine environment from various kinds of waste, in a manner that enhances the protection and preservation of fisheries and aquatic life, including developing countries and small island states, and reducing emissions from ships. All these efforts are combined to ensure the harmonization of joint work within one system to protect all marine areas around the world and develop the maritime sector. 

The kingdom holds a unique and strategic location on the world map and overlooks the most important sea lanes and paths on the western coasts along the Red Sea and the eastern coast along the Arabian Gulf, making it an important logistical center where three continents meet (Asia, Africa and Europe), and a gateway to 13% of the global trade movement from east to west and from north to south. Being one of the largest oil exporters in the world, it also contributed 30% of global energy transported by giant national tankers flying the Saudi flag within our fleet, which includes 407 ships, with a tonnage of 13.5 million tons, topping regionally and ranking 20th globally. 

These national achievements reflect the great support of our wise leadership and its constant interest in developing this industry, strengthening the Kingdom’s position among the advanced and pioneering countries in the logistics sector and achieving the goals of our ambitious vision 2030.