RIYADH: Crane movements in Saudi ports will be reduced in order to cut carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 1,046 tons by the end of the year, the organization responsible for the transit hubs has announced. The Saudi Ports Authority, also known as Mawani, is working on reducing the average movement of yard cranes per incoming container required for manual inspection by 33 percent. In addition, it is also working on reducing the turnover rate of trucks within the Jeddah Islamic Port by 17 percent. These initiatives will help improve the port’s operational performance, reduce carbon emissions, and lower the logistical cost for port and maritime transport sector customers. They will also assist the authority to keep pace with the Kingdom’s initiatives to preserve the environment and establish a prosperous and sustainable marine sector. These initiatives fall within the framework of the Green Ports Initiative which aims to diminish energy consumption by 15 percent by reducing dependence on diesel in order to lower carbon footprint. Mawani is known to present pioneering initiatives that are directly linked in one way or another to the Saudi Green Initiative which focuses on reducing emissions, supervising work to combat climate change, and facilitating community cooperation. The authority also works to strengthen partnerships between the public and private sectors to expand the scope of work in this field. The authority is seeking to boost the level of customer and beneficiary satisfaction, decrease logistical costs, and enhance the commercial attractiveness of the port on a global level. In 2022, Mawani, represented by the Jeddah Islamic Port, won the “Best Port in 2022” award, and the “Digital Transformation” award at the International Green Shipping Summit Awards.