Achievements of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Maritime Transport Sector

Introduction:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoys economic and political stature and a recognised capability in the Maritime Transport Sector at both regional and global levels. It hopes to contribute to the efforts of cooperation in the field of international maritime transport.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has boundaries between two important coastlines, namely the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, which extend a distance of 1,944 km and 965 km respectively. Through these waters flows nearly 30% of the world's energy to global markets. The Red Sea is considered to be an important maritime route for trade and shipping connecting the Suez Canal with Bab Al-Mandeb and carrying a large numbers of world ships to the five oil ports operated by the Kingdom. The Arabian Gulf there has two main ports, which are considered to be the largest oil ports in the world, feeding the global markets with approximately 30% of the world energy and containing 18 docking berths for super-tankers, as well as an advanced centre for monitoring the shipping of crude oil to prevent any oil leaks.

As for other commercial ports, the Kingdom has successfully improved operational, organizational and technical performances, as well as environmental and security. Primarily, new docks, cargo handling terminals, and ports have been built. Development projects and improvement to infrastructure such as support services, canals, sea basins, docks, facilities, modern equipment and operating mechanisms, have contributed to a substantial increase in the capacity and productivity in all ports.  This strengthening of capacity and operational efficiency has met the requirements of development and the overall economic renaissance that took place in the Kingdom during recent years.

Port capacity increased to more than 530 million tonnes in 2014 and the number of berths has risen to 214. The amount of cargo handled increased by about 29.5 %, from 165 million tonnes in 2013 to 275 million tonnes in 2015. Over the same period the number of containers has increased by 8.6%, from 5.9 million tonnes TEU in 2013 to over 6.4 million tonnes in 2014.

As in the field of safety and the protection of marine environment, the Kingdom has strictly adhered to the international conventions of the Treaty on the Safety of Life and Property at Sea. Moreover, in the protection of the marine environment through the active and influential sectors in the Kingdom such as the Ministry of Transport and Ports, Border Guards, Navy, General Presidency of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

The Kingdom participates through the Royal Saudi Naval Forces within the Combined International Coalition forces which was founded in 2002,  a multi-national force comprising of 29 countries and its task to maintain maritime security in the region by maintaining the waterways and oil installations from any danger and eliminating terrorism, combating piracy and smuggling of all kinds.

In addition, the Kingdom implemented an effective screening system to ensure that all visiting tankers meet the requirements of international conventions, especially in the field of safety, preservation of the environment and the prevention of marine pollution. It should be noted that the Kingdom’s focus on safety and the protection of marine environment has had a positive impact and there has not been a single negative case regarding the marine environment or its workers over the past two years.

In mid-2014, Saudi Aramco started to issue certificates of compliance of the International Code for the Security of Ships and Port Facilities (ISPS) to all its ports, valid for five years. This a reflection of the Kingdom's keenness to bolster the reputation of its port facilities. The Border Patrol obliged the operator of King Abdullah Port to abide by the requirements of the International Code for the Security of Ships and Marine Facilities, which resulted in obtaining a certificate of compliance.

The Kingdom and the activities of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The Kingdom joined the International Maritime Organization in 1969, and has signed 22 of its conventions. It actively promotes the work of the IMO by attending all the meetings of the Council, the General Assembly and the main committees and subcommittees with high-level delegations. It has extended its participation to include many sectors and stakeholders in the shipping activity in the Kingdom such as the Ministry of Transport and Ports, Border Guards, Navy, Presidency of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The Kingdom has been previously elected to the IMO Council several times before and has contributed actively and positively.

The nomination to the IMO Council

The Kingdom hopes to gain the support of Member States in the next elections to the IMO Council and it would be grateful for your vote to be a Category C member of the Council as early as 2016.