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.