King Abdullah Economic City, November 2021: King Abdullah Port announced that it will support 2021 Seatrade Maritime Middle East (SMME) as a Gold Sponsor, in furtherance of its commitment to playing a pivotal role in the growth and development of the region’s ports and maritime sectors. With this, King Abdullah Port marks the third consecutive year of its sponsorship of the leading annual conference and exhibition.
Held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure during the UAE Maritime Week, SMME will take place in person at Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai, from December 13-15, 2021. Participants can also take part in the hybrid event through its online platform. The three-day trade show will feature thought-provoking panel discussions and an impressive line-up of speakers in addition to offering a showcase of the latest and innovative maritime solutions. Gathering policymakers, business leaders, companies and professionals under one roof, the event will play a role in the shaping of the maritime industry’s future.
Commenting on the announcement, Jay New, CEO of King Abdullah Port, said: “Saudi Arabia has envisioned an ambitious future under its National Transport and Logistics Strategy and Vision 2030 plan where the Kingdom will emerge as a global logistics hub connecting three continents. We aim to contribute to achieving this objective through our sponsorship of the region’s leading maritime event, which will offer a global stage for the Kingdom’s ports and maritime players to showcase their capabilities and explore new opportunities to advance their long-time goals in line with the national agenda.”
Owned by the Ports Development Company, King Abdullah Port is the region’s first port to be owned, developed, and operated by the private sector. Ranked as the world’s second most efficient port by The World Bank in 2020, the port emerged as one of the world’s top 100 ports within four years of operation. With its strategic location in King Abdullah Economic City – a modern city with a pro-business ecosystem and infrastructure – King Abdullah Port leverages the city’s advanced facilities and services, particularly the Industrial Valley, which has attracted many logistics projects as well as light and medium industries.
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About King Abdullah Port
Strategically located on the Red Sea coast in King Abdullah Economic City, King Abdullah Port, ranked by The World Bank as the world’s second most efficient port in 2020, is the Middle East’s first privately owned, developed and operated port. Occupying an area of 17.4 km2, and enjoying close proximity to the key Saudi cities of Jeddah, Holy Makkah, Al Madinah and Yanbu, as well as its direct access to extensive transportation networks that facilitates the cargo transport through the kingdom and the rest of the region, the port is making an increasingly important contribution to the Kingdom’s global role in maritime trade and logistics. Once fully completed, King Abdullah Port will be capable of handling 25 million TEU, 1.5 million CEU and 25 million tons of clean bulk cargo annually.
With state-of-the-art infrastructure and processing facilities, the world’s deepest 18-m berths, multi-level expanding operations, in addition to a fully-integrated Port Community System, the Smart Gate system and multipurpose bonded and re-export zones, King Abdullah Port reflects the important role of the private sector in realizing Vision 2030.
