Al-Mushaan calls for building an integrated Arab transport and logistics system
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Noura Al-Mushaan chairs Kuwait delegation at the 75th session of Arab Transport Ministers Council to discuss logistics challenges and regional cooperation
Translated by Qiyas from الوسط — Original source
The Minister of Public Works, Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan, chaired the day before yesterday the delegation of the State of Kuwait participating in the 75th session of the Executive Office of the Arab Ministers of Transport, which launched at the headquarters of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Alexandria, presided over by Egypt and attended by transport ministers and representatives of Arab member states in the Executive Office and specialized Arab organizations.
The Egyptian Minister of Transport and Chairman of the Executive Office, General Kamal al-Wazir, expressed his gratitude in his speech at the opening of the meeting the day before yesterday to the Kuwaiti Minister of Public Works and Chair of the current session of the Arab Ministers of Transport Council, Dr. Noura Al-Mashaan. He stated that emerging geopolitical risks arising from conflicts and challenges facing the region have created further complexities in transport movement and management, hindering supply chains worldwide.
In this regard, he pointed to the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Israeli aggression on Gaza that resulted in 70,000 martyrs and more than 170,000 injured, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iranian war, and the Houthi aggression on the territory of the fraternal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as their threats to navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
He added that this has led to instability in global supply chains, with major shipping lines adopting alternative routes that have increased voyage duration, raised operational costs, caused port congestion, delayed cargo delivery, and increased carbon emissions harmful to the environment.
The Minister emphasized that these challenges require collective effort locally and internationally to overcome unconventional circumstances that have repercussions on human life and all aspects of economic and social life, including rising living costs not only in the region but also across the world’s countries and the international economy as a whole.
He said, “Here we are meeting today under these circumstances to work on enhancing cooperation and interconnection among our peoples and countries to mitigate their effects. Our meeting today serves to consolidate our distinguished relations and reaffirm our shared will to enhance Arab cooperation and coordination in various transport fields, building on our commonalities and mutual interests to achieve our peoples’ aspirations for greater growth and progress, given the vital importance of transport across all its sectors to the economic and social development of our countries.”
He noted that regional and international developments have proven that addressing these challenges requires strengthening Arab coordination, exchanging information and expertise, enhancing port readiness and transport partnerships, and studying available operational alternatives, while supporting efforts to ensure the safety of maritime navigation and freedom of safe passage in accordance with international law rules.
He clarified that the Executive Office’s agenda for this session includes several important topics reflecting a collective commitment to enhancing Arab economic and logistical solidarity, foremost among them supporting the Palestinian economy, implementing the strategic plan for sectoral development in Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem), and discussing Arab agreements regulating the transport of passengers and goods via land routes between Arab countries.
He added that the agenda also includes important items related to the development of the electronic portal for land transport, enhancing road safety, developing rail transport, digital transformation in the transport sector, energy transition, and reducing carbon emissions. In addition, it covers a draft agreement to regulate procedures for the maritime transport of passengers and goods among Arab countries, the development of river transport in Sudan, the development of its logistics zones, and the preparation of a comprehensive Arab agreement on maritime cooperation, as well as the enhancement of maritime and logistics diplomacy to support the resilience of corridors and supply chains and to bolster the Arab geopolitical standing. The Executive Office is scheduled to submit the agenda items to the 39th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Transport tomorrow for approval.
