Saudi Arabia has revealed plans to establish 59 logistics zones by 2030 as part of its ambitious Vision 2030 strategy. It also aims to increase its ports’ capacity to over 40 mn containers, in a bid to become a global logistics powerhouse.
Dr. Rumaih Al-Rumaih, Saudi’s deputy minister of Transport and Logistic Services, made the announcement at an event in London. The Saudi Transport General Authority organized the event, with Prince Khalid Bn Bandar Bin Sultan, Saudi ambassador to the UK, and key officials of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in attendance.
According to Al-Rumaih, Saudi is enhancing its logistics capabilities to be among the top 10 countries in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI).
The LPI is an interactive benchmarking tool created by the World Bank to help countries benchmark their performance. Singapore, Finland, Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands are the top five nations on the index.
Meanwhile, the highest-ranked country from the Middle East is the United Arab Emirates at 12th. Saudi Arabia is currently 41st on the LPI.
Read: Saudi logistics sector market size to grow to SAR57.4 bn by 2030
Saudi logistics expansion
Out of the planned 59 logistics zones, 21 are already operational. Saudi seeks to fuel business growth and attract investment with the expansion of its logistics facilities.
In addition, Saudi hopes to address the increasing global demand for logistics services by establishing additional facilities. Currently, Saudi hosts 12 percent of the global container trade passes annually.
Upcoming developments
During the event, Al-Rumaih also took the opportunity to announce an upcoming event aimed at fostering sustainability in the maritime industry.
The Maritime Industry Sustainability Conference will take place in Jeddah, on September 4-6, with the theme “Innovation for a Greener Future.”
He added, “We are pleased to actively pursue tracks of cooperation with IMO and its member states regarding initiatives that promote climate, cooperation, and seafarers.”
Conference’s key details
The conference will be held under the patronage of Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser, the minister of Transport and Logistics Services and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Transport General Authority.
Notable attendees include the Secretary-General of the IMO, various local and international ministers, ambassadors, and maritime experts.
Moreover, the three-day conference will focus on sustainability in the maritime industry and its impact on the environment. Additionally, it will address the importance of innovation in modern technologies and human capacity building.
The event will feature more than 50 expert speakers from the maritime sector, covering a wide range of topics. In addition, there will be over 2,000 exhibitors featuring products and services from companies and organizations from around the world.
For more stories on Saudi Arabia, click here.
