As part of its participation in the Saudi Maritime Congress for the first time, Svitzer, a leading global provider of towage and maritime support services, announced its intention to make use of its expertise in the industry to empower local talent in Saudi Arabia. This step is in line with the objectives set by the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to enhance the capabilities of the Kingdom’s maritime sector and improve its standards to be at par with the leading maritime hubs across the globe.
Supported by major maritime authorities in the Kingdom such as Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) and the Transport General Authority, in addition to leading entities in the Kingdom such as Bahri, Aramco, and International Maritime Industries (IMI), the event will connect the industry across the region by bringing together ship owners, suppliers, and key decision-makers, and looks forward to achieving the goals set for 2030.
The Kingdom is home to more than 20 leading commercial ports with world class standards. Saudi Arabia also has one of the largest fleets of oil tankers in the world. Thus, the national maritime sector is in need of qualified and skilled maritime professionals that can lead the progress of the industry in the country.
Pankaj Kankan, CCO and COO Svitzer AMEA said: “Our global position comes with a responsibility to contribute to the growth and prosperity of the countries we operate in. Over 1000 seafarers are currently working onboard Svitzer AMEA vessels, out of which, more than 60 per cent are local talents. In Egypt for instance, all of our seafarers are Egyptian nationals. Similarly, in Morocco, over 97 percent, and in Oman, more than 85 per cent of our professionals are local. However, we have a global reputation of providing unmatched high-quality services, which is why we offer comprehensive training to our professionals in order to ensure that they learn, develop, and upgrade their skills on a regular basis. Till date, the company has trained over 354 maritime professionals, including 253 in Oman, 48 in Egypt, and 38 in Bahrain.”
“We are keen on investing in the Kingdom, and look forward to utilising our expertise in localisation, sustainability, and efficient and safe port management to ensure the progress of the nation’s maritime sector. We are confident that the steps being taken to realise the Kingdom’s vision for 2030 will help us immensely, and are optimistic that major government institutions such as MAWANI will support us in achieving our goals. We believe that the industry in Saudi is capable of meeting international standards, and this seems very possible with the help of mega projects such as Red Sea Project,” Kankan added.
The training programs offered by Svitzer cover a wide range of operations such as, sailing on tug boats, working in administrative positions in ports and logistics facilities. At Svitzer’s state-of-the-art facility in Bahrain, tug captains go through intense simulator training sessions in order to be prepared for any situation possible
Chris Morley, Group Director – Maritime Events, Informa Markets commented: “With the kind of mega projects that are being finalised in the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia is without a doubt leading the progress of the global maritime sector. Our role in the Saudi Maritime Congress is to act as a gateway for investments in the Kingdom’s maritime sector. By bringing some of the leading maritime organisations under one roof during our two-day event, we look forward to realising our ambition.”
