Riyadh – Sharikat Mubasher: The Saudi logistic services sector is currently witnessing an unprecedented transformation, led by the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services as it seeks to enhance the Kingdom’s key role in global trade and redefine the logistic services concept.
This shall be achieved by adopting the latest techs, realizing sustainability, and integrating smart infrastructure and advanced transportation solutions, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Ahmed Alhassan, Assistant Minister of Transport and Logistic Services asserted that the Kingdom’s being located between Asia, Africa, and Europe gives it the privilege of being a vital trade corridor between the three continents for thousands of years, adding that the Kingdom has been capable of making a significant change in the logistics sector to empower Saudi Arabia in its quest to be a global logistics hub linking the 3 continents together.
Notably, the Kingdom is bracing up to hold the Global Logistics Forum(GLF) 2024 under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, at the King Abdullah Financial District from October 12 to 14.
The forum is expected to attract over 10,000 participants, including heads of state, ministers, industry leaders, experts, and innovators from around the world. The event will focus on enhancing sector infrastructure and optimizing logistics operations to drive growth and maximize impact.
The forum will see a series of dynamic discussion sessions, interactive workshops, and exhibitions designed to encourage international cooperation and stimulate innovation in sustainable logistics solutions. The forum will also highlight Saudi Arabia’s significant advancements in the sector, including the Kingdom’s impressive rise by 17 places in the Logistics Performance Index and its progress toward achieving the goals of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.
Worth mentioning that, Saudi Arabia ranked 15th in annual container throughput in the 2024 edition of the Lloyd’s List One Hundred Ports, up from 16th last year.
According to the international report, the Kingdom's ports have strengthened their international position, as Jeddah Islamic Port jumped from 41st to 32nd rank globally, recording about 5.59 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) last year, compared to 4.96 million TEU in 2023, a rise of 12.6%.
Moving to the civil aviation sector, the Kingdom also inked a historical deal, on the sidelines of the Future Aviation Forum 2024 held from May 20 to 22, as the Saudi Airlines company revealed the purchase of 105 aircraft from Airbus to expand the Saudi aviation fleet and enhance its air connectivity program.
