JEDDAH: The first Saudi International Maritime Forum concluded on Tuesday in Riyadh with calls for increased cooperation and coordination to counter threats to maritime security.
The concluding session titled “Combating maritime crime and international cooperation” highlighted the importance of information sharing, maritime operations centers, border guards operations and the strategic importance of navigation maps to secure maritime routes.
“Threats to maritime security will continue. We should all work together and be more prepared to face and deter them,” said Col. Ignacio Paz of the Spanish navy.
He said: “The achievement of maritime security requires three main pillars: Knowledge, method and actions.”
Paz said the maritime traffic has increased by 400 percent in the last 25 years while 90 percent of the global trade is carried out through sea routes, which highlights the importance of ensuring maritime security.
He said ensuring maritime security is a way to secure our economies and ensure national prosperity.
Speaking at the event, Col. Dr. Naim bin Atallah Al-Juhani of the Saudi Border Guard, said the job of the border forcers is “to tighten control, guard a country’s land and maritime borders and prevent entry and exit except through official crossings” in a legal manner.
He highlighted the concept of smart borders that use modern technology to secure national borders.
“The US navy has a major role in terms of cooperation in the Middle East and will continue to cooperate to ensure maritime security. Maritime routes in the Arab Gulf influence our economies, trade, freedom of navigation and movement from various points and determine the national economy. Last May’s attacks on oil tankers affected the whole world,” said Lt. James Malloy, commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command/US Fifth Fleet, who also moderated the final session of the program.
“The main pillars that contribute to eliminating of challenges facing maritime security and benefiting from opportunities reside in dealing with the current situation with transparency, cooperating in information exchange and continuing to support the International Customs Law,” Malloy added.
“The international community should condemn all maritime attacks, respond to these hostilities and take the necessary measures to prevent them,” he said.
The US military official stressed the need to collaborate to achieve stability and security of the global economy and called for establishing alliances.
The event was attended by Commander of the Royal Saudi Navy Forces Lt. Gen. Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Ghufaili and naval officials from friendly countries.
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