KAU to help boost Saudi employment in shipping

Saudi imports and exports are largely dependent on maritime transport, with a 90-percent maritime transport rate. The Kingdom ranks 17th globally in terms of shipping, said Osama Taib, rector of King Abdulaziz University.
The head of the university said Saudi participation in the shipping industry is insufficient, with nationals occupying only 19 percent of the work force.
He made the statements at a foundation-laying ceremony for a maritime college on university premises on Wednesday night.
Taib said that King Abdulaziz University, which is the first university in the Kingdom to introduce a maritime college, is planning to train Saudi youth in the maritime domain in order to boost employment opportunities in the industry. The university is working in conjunction with international maritime institutes to generate jobs in the area of shipping.
He said the maritime department is to have four sub-departments, namely, maritime navigation, ports, transport and engineering.
He also revealed that the university will coordinate with international agencies to obtain licenses for fresh graduates in order to help them secure jobs in shipping and maritime transport.
Taib attended an exhibition and presented diplomas to the first graduating class of marine engineers. The Council for Higher Education has approved the establishment and construction of a maritime and shipping college at the university, with a maritime science college devoted to specialized, science-based maritime studies.
The Jeddah Islamic Port tops Saudi Arabia’s maritime sector in terms of total tonnage and container-handling and is expected to grow at a rate of 7 percent over the next couple of years.