The Saudi Ports Authority "Mawani" hosted the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Riyadh MoU), with broad participation from representatives of member states, regional and international maritime organizations, as well as experts and specialists in maritime safety and port state control.
The meeting is considered one of the most significant regional events in the field of maritime navigation safety, bringing together relevant stakeholders to exchange expertise, discuss shared challenges, and review the latest international best practices in port state control. This contributes to enhancing compliance with international maritime conventions and improving the quality of port operations.
Since its establishment, the Riyadh MoU has aimed to unify port state control and inspection systems among member states, ensuring the implementation of harmonized procedures in line with internationally recognized standards. It also seeks to enhance the efficiency of port state control officers through advanced training programs and to build national and regional capacities capable of addressing technological and regulatory developments in the maritime sector.
The MoU also works to reduce the presence of substandard ships that may pose risks to the marine environment, and to the safety of lives and property, by strengthening inspection procedures and ensuring vessels’ compliance with international conventions, as part of member states’ efforts to enhance the overall quality of the maritime fleet.
In addition, the meeting focuses on strengthening maritime navigation safety through the application of the highest technical standards on ships, and by discussing the latest technologies used in inspection operations, including digitalization, data analytics, and risk management systems. These efforts contribute to developing a safer and more efficient maritime environment.
Mawani’s hosting of the meeting reflects its commitment to its leading role in supporting regional and international efforts to advance the maritime sector, enhance the competitiveness of the Kingdom’s ports, and raise levels of compliance with global standards, in line with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy under Saudi Vision 2030.
It is worth noting that the Riyadh MoU is one of the world’s regional international memoranda aimed at establishing a system for ship inspection and control. It was established in 2004 during a meeting of member states held in Riyadh, and was signed under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has chaired the Riyadh MoU since 2021.
