Nasser Al-Yahyawi Okaz newspaper INTERNATIONAL shipping lines are refusing to unload containers onto the most important ports in the Kingdom due to the delays they face in processing shipments and the long waiting times for vessels, claimed the chairman of the Committee of Land Transport at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently. This can only mean one thing: The administration of our ports is disorganized and negligent. Perhaps what the administration does not realize is that the accumulation of cargo containers affects all sectors of the Kingdom. It is disgraceful that despite the number of complaints made against the lengthy waiting periods at the Kingdom's ports, there has been no move by the administration to improve matters. International shipping lines not docking at our ports is causing the country and local companies millions of riyals in losses. Moreover, delay in processing cargo vessels is one of the main causes for hikes in the price of commodities. Eventually, the customer is the one who pays for the inefficiency of port administrators. What the port administration does not realize is that its (in)actions not only harm its reputation, but also the reputation of the country which is seeking to keep abreast with developed countries in terms of maritime trade. I believe that this is a grave situation which requires urgent action to be taken in order to improve and develop the country's ports and save our country's reputation. Who will take the responsibility to change this?
