King Abdullah Port has signed an agreement to sponsor "Sea Asia 2017", the event's sixth edition, to be held on April 25-27, 2017 in Singapore. The event will be part of Singapore Maritime Week and will host logistics experts and influential leaders in the maritime transport industry. Long a platform for top-tier players in transport services, trade, shipping and ports worldwide, Sea Asia offers a unique opportunity to explore business prospects and unveil new products and services. Sea Asia 2017 is co-organized by Seatrade and the Singapore Maritime Foundation. The announcement of this unique sponsorship arrangement on the part of King Abdullah Port coincides with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz's Asian tour. Accompanied by a number of government ministers and officials, King Salman expects to conclude multiple investment agreements during his visit, which will contribute to the Kingdom›s global financial and economic status. "The announcement of King Abdullah Port's sponsorship of Sea Asia 2017 at the time of the Asian tour of King Salman, may Allah protect him, emphasizes the overall goals of the King's visit to this part of the world," said Eng. Abdullah Hameedadin, Managing Director at the Ports Development Company, owner and developer of King Abdullah Port. "This fortunate confluence of events bolsters the visibility and reputation of the port's contribution to the economic development of Saudi Arabia through its role in the expansion of trade between the Kingdom and the rest of the world, while benefiting from the port's strategic location on the Red Sea coast." King Abdullah Port's sponsorship of Sea Asia 2017 falls within the framework of establishing new horizons for investment partnerships in the maritime shipping industry, which has a major role to play in support of the Kingdom's strategies for economic diversification. Economic diversification is one of the main principles of Vision 2030. "Our presence at international events," added Eng. Hameedadin, "heightens our visibility on the world sea ports map while informing the international community of the major role played by King Abdullah Port. It also gives us invaluable opportunities to meet with experts in the maritime transport field, to exchange expertise and to learn about the latest global market trends." Sea Asia 2015 drew 16,185 participants from 85 countries as well as 426 exhibiting companies. There were also seven country pavilions: China, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Panama and Singapore. By the end of 2016, King Abdullah Port significantly enhanced its capabilities, which contributed to the increase of its annual throughput to 1.4 million TEU and its annual capacity to 4 million TEU. This year, King Abdullah Port's management expects to finalize the first phase of bulk cargo terminals, which have a capacity of three million tons, in addition to the RORO (roll-on/roll-off) terminals with their capacity of 300,000 CEU. The RORO facilities are made possible through a partnership agreement with NYK Group, one of the largest car shipping companies in the world. Run by the Ports Development Company, King Abdullah Port is the Kingdom's first port to be fully owned, developed and operated by the private sector. With its strategic location and state-of-the-art technologies, all managed by national and global experts who strive to offer the best possible services, King Abdullah Port has earned its place at the heart of the world's major shipping lines, all within a solid plan that will bring to reality its vision of becoming one of the largest ports in the world. — SG
