Arab News, Monday, Mar 13, 2023 | Sha'ban 21, 1444
Saudi Arabia joins agreement to reduce risks of marine accidents
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia has become
the first Arab country to join an agreement to reduce risks of marine disasters
and accidents.
The Kingdom’s accession to this agreement allows
for better access to best practices and standards for confronting risks in terms
of providing appropriate and necessary navigation aids to ensure the safety of
life and property in order to curb accidents and marine disasters.
The authority is concerned with developing and
raising the efficiency of navigation safety for ships and navigators along the
Kingdom’s coasts as well as providing safe passage for all commercial ships in
regional waters, ports, and shipping lanes through several comprehensive
strategic programs.
The announcement was made during a visit made by
Mawani President Omar bin Talal Hariri to the headquarters of the International
Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities.
There, Hariri met with the secretary-general of
the organization, Francis Dhicharya, with the aim of enhancing aspects of joint
technical cooperation.
Established in 1957, the IALA organization is
considered the international body responsible for issuing
specifications, recommendations and international standards for navigational
traffic systems for ships.