RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s maritime sector will get a boost as visionaries and industry leaders are set to gather in Dammam on Sept. 20-21 for the Saudi Maritime Congress. The event will showcase the blueprint for the Kingdom’s maritime megaprojects and global integration while emphasizing the pivotal role of investments in technologies and digital initiatives. The congress will also unveil the proposed future of Saudi Arabia’s maritime and oilfield service markets which are forecast to be worth $12.08 billion in 2023, according to a press release. This marks the second edition of the event following its success in 2022 with 3,757 international visitors and leaders. Organized by Seatrade Maritime, it will highlight the Kingdom’s goals of quadrupling annual container rate to 40 million twenty-foot equivalent unit by 2030. “As the shipbuilding sector rapidly grows, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is preparing to establish a new body to oversee shipbuilding and ship maintenance and repair services, further diversifying the economy and fostering new industrial sectors,” the press release stated. Abdullah Al-Ahmari, president and CEO of International Maritime Industries, will set the stage with a keynote session on the first day of the event followed by a session on Saudi Arabia’s strategic alignment with the global maritime market. Other distinguished panelists include Hessa A-Malek, adviser to the UAE’s minister for maritime transport affairs at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Erik Jensby, head of business development and membership at BIMCO, Stuart Neil, director of strategy and communications at ICS, Khurram Ali, partner ME at Ince & Co, and Paul Holthus, founding president and CEO of World Ocean Council.