RIYADH: Delivery times for goods passing through King Abdullah Port are set to be reduced after the facility signed a strategic partnership with the Saudi Company for Electronic Information Exchange, known as Tabadul, to develop a digital system to boost the Kingdom’s logistics sector. The two entities signed a contract on Tuesday which will see the port’s Smart Gate System merge with Tabadul’s Truck Management System in a move that will increase efficiency. The collaboration is in line with the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a global freight center. Jay New, CEO of King Abdullah Port, said the agreement will enable the facility to access logistics and supply chain data, accelerate the transit of goods and cut delivery times significantly. He added: “Overall, this will improve our service to importers and exporters, and add a valuable contribution to the transformation of the Kingdom into a global logistics hub connecting three continents, in line with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.” Tabadul CEO Majid bin Faleh Al-Otaibi stated that the move was made to support the growth of Saudi ports services, as well as to remain at the forefront of the latest technologies. The rapid expansion of the Kingdom’s logistics sector is driving a major transformation in the region, according to a top official of Kuwait-based Agility Logistics. Speaking at the 10th Arab-China Business Conference in Riyadh earlier this month, the chairperson of the company, Henadi Al-Saleh, praised the Kingdom’s progress in the field of logistics. “Saudi Arabia is leading and is at the center of a major transformation spearheading this region. It is literally pivoting and transforming the logistics landscape,” Al-Saleh said during a panel discussion. “Agility issues an emerging market index every year and scans 50 emerging markets and Saudi Arabia hands down ranks at the top, it is in the top five in overall markets, top five in business fundamentals, and top 10 in digital readiness,” she added.