The Second Saudi International Maritime Forum kicks off in Jeddah tomorrow

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The forum’s speakers will discuss five main strategic axes. (SPA)
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Updated 15 November 2022
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The Second Saudi International Maritime Forum kicks off in Jeddah tomorrow

  • The forum is held under the title “Protecting Against Unmanned Systems” and aims to exchange views and discuss the challenges facing marine units and coastal sites

RIYADH: The Saudi International Maritime Forum will launch its second edition in Jeddah from Nov. 15 to 17, organized by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces.

More than 37 leaders and heads of authorities concerned with the marine environment will participate, along with the navies of 15 other countries, military specialists, and academics from inside and outside the Kingdom.

The forum is held under the title “Protecting Against Unmanned Systems” and aims to exchange views and discuss the challenges facing marine units and coastal sites, ways to protect them, and how to deal with threats and their impact on the global economy to ensure the safety of sea lanes.

The forum will hold sessions with interested parties, military specialists, technology experts, and academics, as well as ministries, government agencies, and international companies.

HIGHLIGHT

The forum will witness an accompanying exhibition in which the most prominent local, regional and international companies will participate, displaying the latest equipment, technologies and systems in the field of maritime security.

It will also witness an accompanying exhibition in which the most prominent local, regional and international companies will participate, displaying the latest equipment, technologies and systems in the field of maritime security.

The forum’s speakers will discuss five main strategic axes. In the first session, they will address the development of counter-unmanned systems, and in the second, they will discuss military alliances and their role in confronting the threat of unmanned systems.

The speakers of the third session will discuss the topic of artificial intelligence and cyber security to protect against unmanned systems, and in the fourth session, the topic of cooperation between the military and civil sectors to protect against unmanned naval systems will be discussed.

In the last session, speakers will discuss the topic of protecting infrastructure and energy sources.

Among the most prominent speakers of the forum are the Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Naval Forces Admiral Mohammed Amjad Khan Niazi.

Commander of the 150th Mixed Force in Bahrain, Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Mutaib Al-Mutairi, and Royal Navy Commodore Ben Aldous will also be among the attendees.

The list of speakers also includes Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization Kitack Lim, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute Dr. Malcolm Davis, Director of the Center for Intelligence and Security and Studies at the University of Akron Professor Karl Kaltenthaler, and the president of the KSF Space Foundation.

 

 


Pioneering electric bus service takes to the road in Makkah

Updated 19 December 2025
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Pioneering electric bus service takes to the road in Makkah

  • The bus rapid transit project, a system designed to have higher capacity and reliability than conventional bus services, is said to be the first of its kind in the Kingdom
  • The vehicles operate in dedicated bus lanes within a network that includes two main bus stations and 11 stops along the route connecting them

MAKKAH: A pioneering electric bus service took to the road in Makkah this week.

Electromin, the developer and operator of the service in partnership with Umm Al-Qura for Development and Construction, said it is expected to serve more than 125 million passengers over the next 15 years, while cutting carbon dioxide emissions by more than 31,500 tonnes compared with traditional vehicles.

The bus rapid transit project, a system designed to have higher capacity and reliability than conventional bus services, is said to be one of the first of its kind in the Kingdom. It was inaugurated on Wednesday by Amr Al-Dabbagh, chairperson of Al-Dabbagh Group; Samir Nawar, managing director of Petromin; and Yasser Abu Ateeq, CEO of Umm Al-Qura.

The bus rapid transit project is designed to have higher capacity and reliability than conventional bus services. (Supplied)

Electromin, a subsidiary of Petromin specializing in energy and mobility solutions, said the new service, which forms part of the Masar Destination mixed-use real estate development project in Makkah, is one the first transport networks of its kind in the country, and represents a significant shift toward a cleaner, more efficient urban transport model.

It operates in dedicated bus lanes, connecting key hubs within Masar and providing safe, reliable and environmentally friendly transportation for residents and visitors, the company added. The network includes two main bus stations and 11 stops along the route connecting them. It has been designed to serve more than 5 million visitors and pilgrims annually, and to be easily accessible to all users.

Operators say the service is designed as a foundation for Makkah’s future transportation system, through its integration with the broader Masar project, which includes pedestrian walkways, more than 5,000 parking spaces, metro services and other urban infrastructure.