Bahri - collaboration enabled Saudi shipping to overcome challenges

The progress of Saudi Arabia’s maritime sector in the face of multiple challenges has been earned through collaboration between companies and agencies, and a shared objective to build not just an industry, but an ecosystem which supports co-creation, co-innovation, and co-accomplishment, Bahri CEO Al Subaey told the audience at Saudi Maritime & Logistics Congress 2024.

“Just like a vessel, we had a choice, either to anchor and hide, to drift as we did in past years, or to sail. And boy, did we sail last year,” said Al-Subaey.

His opening remarks were delivered to a room of VIPs at the two-day conference and exhibition in Dammam. Bahri is a leading shipowner in the Kingdom, with a fleet of 92 vessels including 39 VLCCs and more due for delivery and on order.

Al-Subaey said the kingdom had faced socio-economic and geopolitical challenges, as well as challenges around “the safe passage through critical pathways,” a reference to the ongoing disruption in the southern Red Sea.

These "monumental challenges" would have been insurmountable without collaboration between organisations including Bahri, the Saudi Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, Mawani, the Saudi Ministry of Investment, and Sofon. “The entire ecosystem had to work together to overcome these challenges,” said Al-Subaey.

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“We are joined here today in our beloved Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, not just by the leaders of this industry, but by leaders across the world… you've come to the right place, because this Arabian Peninsula, for 5,000 years, has always been across the roads of trade, of shipping, of logistics… we intend and are determined in the kingdom to make it an even a bigger node going forward for trade and shipping and logistics.”

Al-Subaey said that the shipping industry needs shorter milestones to gauge progress on the route to decarbonisation and to ensure the industry can remain agile to meet the world’s needs. 

“Digitalisation will be, in my view, the differentiator between the companies that can get ahead and companies that are left behind. It has to start with building an appropriate and robust infrastructure, because what is happening on this front will truly revolutionise our industry,” said Al-Subaey.

Bahri is a Saudi Maritime & Logistics Congress founding strategic partner alongside Seatrade Maritime, and participated across the conference agenda, as well as joining a closed-door roundtable session on the eve of the event to discuss pressing issues in the regional and global maritime industry.

Saudi Maritime & Logistics Congress will return to Dammam on 1-2 October, 2025.