Ports authority taps PME help to monitor marine pollution

DAMMAM: The General Port Authority has delegated the responsibility of controlling marine pollutants that result from oil disposal from ships and boats to the Presidency of Meteorology and Environmental Protection. It admitted through its president, Nabil Al-Amoudi, that there is a lack of sufficient mechanisms to follow up on this form of environmental pollution in the proper manner, because the available technology has not yet reached such a level of sophistication.
Al-Amoudi said that there is a need to develop a mechanism to follow up on environmental pollution accurately. There are some plans that have been devised in cooperation with investors about hydrocarbon pollution, and discussions have been carried out with some operators to decrease the use of diesel oil in equipment.
Al-Amoudi confirmed that there is a dry port in Riyadh city, which is affiliated with the Railway Organization, and there are plans to develop dry ports in Jeddah and the Eastern Province. He mentioned that the overcrowding of ships is due to the peak season, saying that no cases of overcrowding were registered in Dammam or Jeddah ports.
Al-Amoudi said that containers stay in Saudi ports for a maximum of 10 days, which is the same period offered by the General Port Authority and the customs department, in order to provide more space for other containers. He pointed out that new procedures will be undertaken to raise the capacity of the ports, since raising the operational capacity increases their effective capacity. He confirmed that there are ongoing discussions with the customs department to achieve more effective electronic connections.
Al-Amoudi said that he did not know the minor details about transport connections between east and west, saying that the strategy of the Port Authority aims to be transitioned into legislation later on. He clarified that operating ports will be monitored through companies, adding that there is a strong partnership between the General Port Authority and companies working in ports. He confirmed that work will be swiftly delegated to these companies, and that the authority will only maintain a supervisory role after the full development of the partnership by the year 2030.
In related news, Eastern Province Governor, Saudi bin Naif, presided over the opening of the Global Marine Transport Day, which was launched under the theme: “We must dispose of marine transport”. The celebration was organized by the Ministry of Transport in Dammam. The President of the General Port Authority mentioned that the Kingdom joined the International Marine Organization in 1969 because it believed in its important role in increasing efficiency and environmental sustainability in our waters and ports, reported Alwatan.