Riyadh - The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Port of Antwerp International (PAI) at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London to boost mutual cooperation in the domains of port optimization, digital transformation, and capacity building in the presence of HE Dr. Rumaih bin Mohammed Al-Rumaih, Deputy Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Acting President of Transport General Authority (TGA). The agreement was signed by HE Omar Hariri, Mawani President, and Mr. Tom Hautekiet, Chief Commercial Officer at PAI.

The deal represents a concrete step by the national maritime regulator to enhance its corporate governance and strengthen efficiency and quality in the ports sector in a bid to deliver excellence and position the Kingdom as a leading logistics destination as per the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030. The new partnership will leverage existing competencies to bolster trade relations and opportunities, upgrade port infrastructure, optimize operational performance and technical expertise, promote digitalization, and upskill the sector’s workforce across various disciplines.

The collaboration will further work on minimizing the environmental impact of the shipping industry alongside adopting cutting edge technologies throughout the Kingdom’s ports to automate operations and supercharge efficiency. The past year had seen Mawani earn the Qualified by EFQM recognition from the European Foundation for Quality Management as the first entity from the Kingdom’s transportation sector to achieve the feat following its success in adhering to global standards in organizational excellence. It had also launched the Smart Ports initiative to deploy fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies to transform the local maritime sector into a thriving hub of digital innovation with the aim of driving the nation’s economic output and fostering trade and investment.