Maritime terrorism threats destabilize ‘regional security’: Saudi security workshop

Gen. Awad bin Eid Al-Balwi, director general of the Border Guards, speaks during the workshop in Jeddah. (SPA)

• Such acts seriously undermine our efforts to achieve sustainable development, says Saudi Border Guards chief

JEDDAH: A three-day maritime security workshop held at the Mohammed bin Naif Institute for Maritime Science and Security Studies in Jeddah has ended, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The workshop was organized by the Directorate General of the Border Guards in collaboration with the International Maritime Organization, under the guidance of King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Interior Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif.
It focused on the Jeddah Amendments to the Djibouti Code of Conduct, which were designed to enhance the international community’s response to criminal activity at sea and were adopted in 2017.
The Djibouti Code of 2009 was designed to improve regional capacity to respond to piracy off the coasts of Africa and Saudi Arabia.
Gen. Awad bin Eid Al-Balwi, director general of the Border Guards, gave a speech at the closing workshop session. He thanked King Salman, the crown prince and the interior minister for their continued support toward achieving regional maritime security.
Al-Balwi said there was an urgent need to promote the role of national contact points so that there was better exchange of information.
“Only like this we would come a long way in promoting maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, and contribute to maritime development,” added Al-Balwi.    
Al-Balwi said the Jeddah amendments were considered a successful example of regional cooperation, and that they were a great framework for building regional capacity.
He condemned maritime terrorism, which he said destabilized the security of the region. “Such acts not only constitute a threat to the maritime navigation, but seriously undermine our efforts to achieve sustainable maritime development and a blue economy as well.”
Representatives from 18 different states took part in the three-day workshop.
Organizations or institutions that attended the event included Cardiff University, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Interpol and the International Committee of the Red Cross.