The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia held a coffee break on the margin of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 107) at the International Maritime Organization HQ in London on the 1st of June.

On May 31, 2023, AD, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia deposited the instrument of ratification of the amendments to the International Maritime Organization Convention for the year 2021 AD, which were approved at the thirty-second session of the International Maritime Organization Assembly, in which Royal Decree No. (M / 104) dated 3/7/1444 AH was issued.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is financing the worlds largest green hydrogen project. This project is being brought together by the National Development Fund (NDF), through its supervised entities and will be established in the Oxagon city at NEOM.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Border Guard presented their efforts and recent advancements in Search and Rescue and the recent humanitarian initiatives affecting the kingdom. The presentation took place before the IMO on the 19th of May 2023 and covered a variety of topics including.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia partnered with the Republic of Ecuador to celebrate International Day for Women in Maritime.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participated in the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) international conference for International Day for Women in Maritime 2023. Saudi Arabia was represented by Dr Lina Eyouni, Manager for Marine Planning and Monitoring within the Red Sea Zone of Environmental Protection and Regeneration on the closing panel of Day One, ‘Breaking The Glass Ceiling.’

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Presents the Outcomes of Arab Women in Biofouling Management Workshop to IMO and member states and commits to funding further maritime environmental projects in 2023 alongside IMO.

The AMWIM-BM workshop will be held in Jeddah on the 10-11th of May as part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to cooperation, seafarers and climate within the IMO. Learn more about Biofouling here:

On the 24th of April 2023 Alternate Permanent Representative Ms. Hayat AlYabis met with Director General Laurent Parenté in the first official bilateral engagement since his election. In the meeting, Ms Hayat Al Yabis reaffirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s support for IMSO.

In 2023 and as a Council Member, Saudi Arabia is committed to support initiatives in the maritime field in all areas especially Climate, Cooperation and Seafarers. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has partnered with the International Maritime Organization’s GloFouling Partnerships to host the world’s first workshop focused on women engagement in maritime biofouling management. The Arab Women in BioFouling Management Workshop will take place in Jeddah on May 10-11, 2023.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken in over 8,000 refugees from the conflict in Sudan. The Coast Guard have facilitated the safe evacuation and refugee for citizen’s fleeing the crisis.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia partnered with IMO’s GloFouling Partnerships project to organize the Arab Women in Maritime – Biofouling Management Workshop (AWIM-BMW), within the context of the wider celebrations of the International Day for Women in Maritime (IDWIM) on 18 May 2023. The theme of IDWIM this year is: "Mobilizing networks for gender equality".

The Saudi Port Authority (Mawani) recently announced cutbacks on crane activity and truck turnaround times at Jedda Islamic Port. This comes in line with annual targets to lower the carbon footprint of the Kingdom’s busiest port by 1,046 tons in 2023.

These efforts have worked to compliment the goals of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS), including the Mawani Green Ports initiative which aims to slash energy consumption by 15% through equipment electrification and diesel phaseout across the kingdoms trade hubs.

This prestigious award came to Jeddah Islamic Port beating out top contenders such as the Port of Rotterdam and Port of Hamburg to the coveted prize at the awards night that felicitated winners across seven different categories.

The newest accolade for Jeddah Islamic Port, ranked eighth in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index 2021, reflects the extensive package of development programs and high-impact investments implemented at Saudi Arabia’s busiest hub.

This includes deals to set up five world-class logistics parks as well as the launch of new cargo services that enhance the Kingdom’s maritime connectivity.

On March 18th, 2023, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) took part in the 8th iteration of the International Maritime Exercise (IMX) that occurred across several regions including the Arabian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, The Northern Arabic Sea, The Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea.

The IMO CARES (Coordinated Actions to Reduce Emissions from Shipping) Foundation Project financed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with MTCC Latin America and the IMO Department of Partnerships and Projects, hosted the fourth virtual workshop IMOCARES workshop in Panama. The workshop highlighted the role of green technologies towards advancing sustainable shipping. Over 200 participants took part in the workshop and learned about alternative fuel options including Ammonia and Hydrogen, the relevance of innovation in green technology, the need for financial investment in green initiatives, and the importance of inclusivity in the journey to a more sustainable future.  

IMO Department of Partnerships and Projects, in collaboration with MTCC Africa, hosted ‘Mobilizing Global Support for Green Maritime Transition in Africa’ at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh Egypt at the Africa Pavilion. The event was held in cooperation of the African Union, AUDA-NEPAD African Union Development Agency, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Maritime SheEO held the third annual conference in Mumba India where Ms. Sanjam Sahi Gupta, Director of Sitara Shipping and Founder of Maritime SheEO welcomed 225 people in person with over 1500 individuals virtually attending. The conference aims to promote diversity, inclusivity, sustainability, and empowering women in the maritime sector. The theme for this conference was, “Changing Leadership Paradigms.”

The Second Saudi International Maritime Forum (SIM22) launched its second event in Jeddah from 15-17 November 2022. SIM22, organized by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces under the auspices of His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Salman al Saud, the Minister of Defense focused on “Protecting Against Unmanned Systems” with the aim to exchange views and discuss the challenges facing marine and coastal sites.