WASHINGTON: King Abdullah Port participated in and sponsored the sixth edition of Sea Asia 2017, held in Singapore as part of Singapore Maritime Week. Sea Asia 2017 was co-organized by Seatrade and the Singapore Maritime Foundation. This first participation of its kind for the Saudi port in the Asian market coincided with King Salman’s Asian tour, which resulted in several investment agreements. These agreements will contribute to supporting the Kingdom’s role internationally and enhancing its financial, economic and logistics status thanks to a strategic location that qualifies it to become a world-class logistics hub. The exhibition was inaugurated by Khaw Boon Wan, coordinating minister for infrastructure and Singapore’s minister for transport, who showed particular interest in King Abdullah Port’s booth. He lauded the scope of the project and the unique business model that has been used to make it a reality. Khaw said he follows developments in the Kingdom very closely and that he believes the Vision 2030 will have a major impact on the Saudi economy.
Abdullah Hameedadin, managing director of the Ports Development Company, which is the owner and developer of King Abdullah Port, said that King Abdullah Port’s participation in and sponsorship of Sea Asia 2017 strengthens its presence on the international scene and boosts its standing on the world seaports map by informing the international community about its major role. “The maritime transport sector plays a major role in supporting the Kingdom’s orientations and strategies for economic diversification being implemented as part of Vision 2030, as the Kingdom seeks to encourage investment, facilitate procedures, reduce costs and remove restrictions to increase trade and transforming the Kingdom into a global logistics center,” said Hameedadin. In the presence of a number of logistics experts and some of the most influential leaders in the maritime transport sector, Neville Bissett, general manager of the Ports Development Company, gave a presentation explaining the port’s business model and the fruitful cooperation with the public sector represented by the Economic Cities Authority. Bissett highlighted King Abdullah Port’s most important features including its strategic location, its presence in King Abdullah Economic City, its close proximity to King Abdullah Economic City’s Industrial Valley and Haramain High-Speed Rail station as well as Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah.
