The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participated in the "Regional Conference for Arab Women in Maritime Sector" through a high-ranking delegation of Saudi women headed by Ms. Wijdan Al-Suhaibani, Manager of Branding and Communication at Bahri. The conference is the most prominent event organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and recently held at the headquarters of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Alexandria, Egypt. The participation of Saudi women in the conference was a major step that reflects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's continued progress; and it also showed that Saudi women have occupied leadership positions in public and private sectors and they now represent proficient and trained national competencies that make active contributions to advancing the national economy and becoming a prominent presence within the sustainable development system according to the Saudi Vision 2030. The event assessed and deliberated the representation of women in various areas and sectors including maritime and port administrations. In addition, the conference also saw the launch of the "Arab Women in Maritime Association" (AWiMA), a platform to bring together the women working in different sectors of the industry in the region and with a vision that aims at "an effective Arab woman who promotes a strong maritime sector". The head of the Saudi delegation, Ms. Wijdan Al-Suhaibani, won the chairmanship of the newly formed Association, which emphasizes the efficiency and excellence of Saudi women and their ability to play important roles in leading specialized bodies and organizations at all levels - local, regional and international. "It was an honor to be invited by IMO to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at this prestigious conference. Our nation's participation in these important events truly reflects the social transformation the country is going through and more so as we are representing the maritime industry, which has historically been male-dominated," said Ms. Wijdan Al-Suhaibani, head of the Saudi delegation, President of the Arab Women in Maritime Association on this occasion. The participation of the Saudi delegation at the Regional Conference for Arab Women in the Maritime Sector shed light on the practical steps taken by the Kingdom to achieve the ambitious Vision 2030, which envisages increasing the participation of women in the workforce from the present 22 percent to 30 percent. --More 10:57 LOCAL TIME 07:57 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1687123
