The Second Saudi Marine Forum dubbed “Toward integration with the global trade system” kicked off in the city Sunday. Prince Misha'l Bin Majed, the Governor of Jeddah, inaugurated the event on behalf of Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the Emir of Makkah. Organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and in cooperation with Al-Fares Group for Conferences and Exhibitions, the three-day forum will tackle the challenges facing the maritime transport industry. Participants include over 500 experts, researchers, and investors in the field. On an area of 1,800 square meters, the exhibition will feature 50 government and private marine establishments which have gathered to provide service and investment opportunities. Minister of Transportation and Chairman of the Board of the Saudi Ports Authority, Jubara Al-Suraiseri, toured the exhibition and was briefed on new services and investment opportunities. The forum is a welcome boost for the Saudi economy and infrastructure, he said. Chairman of the forum, Tariq Al-Marzoogi, said that the internationally-recognized success of the first forum in 2008 provided solid ground for this event. The current challenges have pushed the industry to find better solutions to ports administration, logistics, navigation and cargo, said Saleh Kamel, Chairman of the JCCI, in a speech delivered by JCCI board member Abdullah Bin Mahfouz. Maritime transport has changed over the past few years, said Al-Suraiseri. Ports are the gateways for development and the way of doing business at ports has developed accordingly, he added. Saudi Arabia has spent over SR40 billion to develop its commercial and industrial ports along the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, the minister said. The Kingdom operates six commercial and two industrial ports. A new port at Ras Al-Zoor is under construction, the minister said. Since 1997, private companies have been licensed to operate the ports in return for a share of the profits for the government, he added. In addition to administering, operating and maintaining the ports, private companies have been allowed to invest in building new port docks, he said, “And if there is more need to build ports, the government will do so.” The minister has encouraged Saudi youth to get involved in the marine industry because there is a big demand for specialists at Saudi ports. The government has two specialized maritime training centers in Jeddah and Dammam. Many Saudi students have been sent to Europe and Egypt for further training, he said. “We also had a deal with King Abdulaziz University to start a maritime college. Last year it produced its first batch of graduates,” he said. Chairman of the Saudi Ports Authority, Khaled Bobsheet, denied there was any current congestion at Jeddah Islamic Port. The port authority handles 4.5 million containers a year and its capacity will be increased to 7.5 million containers a year within three months, he said. “We work closely with the Customs Authority to prevent future congestion,” he said. In 2020, the port is expected to handle 15 million containers, he said. The Jeddah Islamic Port is the second largest port in the Middle East after Dubai's Jebel Ali. In late 2008, the port was hit by extreme congestion making commercial ships skip the port and unload their consignments at near-by airports.
