The commitment from five of the Kingdom's maritime leaders at the world-class Saudi Maritime Congress in Riyadh highlights the significant platform this allows to discuss how Vision 2030 will transform the Saudi economy and its heavy reliance on oil, and what this may mean for the shipping and logistics sectors. Dr. Nabel Bin Mohammed Al Amoudi, minister of transport, Dr. Rumaih Bin Mohammed Al Rumaih, president, Public Transport Authority, Eng. Saad Bin Abdulaziz Alkhalb, president, Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI), Ahmed Alhakbani, governor, General Customs Authority, and Eng. Abdullah Aldubaikhi, chief executive officer, Bahri are all invested in speaking to delegates on March 11-12, at the Four Seasons Hotel here in the intensive two-day program. Chris Hayman, chairman of Seatrade, said: "The Saudi Maritime Congress 2019 will offer a platform for local, regional, and global leaders and stakeholders from the shipping, ports, ship construction, and offshore marine communities to engage in a deep exchange of ideas and experiences during the two day conference. They will have an opportunity to explore the scale and nature of the ambitious Vision 2030, discuss its impact from the industry's perspective, and examine the contributions of the shipping and logistics sectors to its success." The shipping and logistics sectors are considered a key pillar vital to the Kingdom's aggressive economic diversification and growth efforts. The domestic logistics industry's huge potentials alone are reportedly valued at $18 billion. During the two days, key opportunities into the booming shipping and logistics sectors will be emphasized in connection with the Saudi Government's major transformation initiatives under its Vision 2030 program. The keynote session titled ‘At the Heart: The Powerhouse, The Hub' will tackle the principal features of Vision 2030 and their implications on the economy. The first session to kickstart the Congress will highlight the main features of the Saudi transformation plan addressing various fundamentals such as: the private sector's economic contributions; foreign direct investments; employment opportunities for Saudi Arabia's growing young demographic and the goal of nationalization through Nitaqat; and further integration of the Kingdom into the regional and global economies as a global logistics hub connecting three continents. Other sessions lined up for the two-day event include ‘Harnessing Smart Technology and Automation,' which will look into the scale and pace of adoption of digital technology for the maritime and supply chain sectors and automation in Saudi ports; ‘Ship Building, Fleet Expansion and Diversification,' which will examine the Saudi Arabia's move into large scale ship construction and repair and diversification of the fleet; and ‘Creating Industry Expertise and a High Qualified Saudi Workforce', which will look into new initiative to support maritime education and impact of technology on employment. The Saudi Maritime Congress enables maritime professionals to network, do business, strengthen and nurture new relationships, while hearing about industry topics within relevant and comprehensive conference sessions. — SG
