The Day of the Seafarer

June 25th marked the 12th celebration of the Day of the Seafarer.

In celebration of seafarers, Eng. Essam Alammari, The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Transport General Authority, participated as a panellist on the Oceans Arena ‘Welcome on Board’ webinar. During this event, he discussed his time as a seafarer and experience in the field. He additionally participated as a member for the International Maritime Organization team during the 100km Mission to Seafarers cycling ride on Saturday, June 25th. Eng. Essam noted, ‘I want to raise awareness to the vital role seafarers play in the global economy and ask everyone to give their respect, appreciation, and gratitude to them.” 

Within Saudi Arabia, under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Rumaih Al-Rumaih, the President of the Transport Authority, and in cooperation with the Saudi Border Guard attended the graduation of 23 sailors from The College of Maritime Studies at King Abdulaziz University. At the graduation, Dr. Rumaih Al-Rumaih, delivered the Maritime Competency Certificates to the sailors certifying their competence to work on board of commercial ships, super tankers in-line with IMO legislation. The celebration also included naval manoeuvres, a marine parade and concluded with a reception. The Transport General Authority continues to celebrates the contribution and sacrifice that seafarers make and to highlight their efforts in upgrading the maritime transport industry.

Additionally, as part of the IMO’s social media campaign ‘Share Your Voyage’, seafarers around the world posted photos comparing the start of their career to their current position, and to discuss changes in the maritime industry that they have witnessed over time.