Saudi Maritime and Logistics Congress

Saudi Maritime and Logistics Congress
المؤتمر السعودي البحري واللوجستي
GenreMaritime, Logistics & Supply Chain
FrequencyAnnual
VenueJeddah Super Dome
LocationsDammam, Eastern Province
CountrySaudi Arabia
Inaugurated2014
Next event
21 – 22 October 2026
Attendance14,000+ (2025)
PatronsMinister of Transport and Logistics Services of Saudi Arabia
Organised byInforma Markets, Seatrade Maritime, Tahaluf
Websitesaudimaritimecongress.com

The Saudi Maritime and Logistics Congress (Arabic: المؤتمر السعودي البحري واللوجستي; formerly the Saudi Maritime Congress, also referred to as SMLC),[1] is an annual international maritime exhibition and conference held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, focusing on the maritime, shipping, ports, and logistics sectors.

Organised by Informa Markets through its Jeddah Super Dome brand and its Saudi Arabia joint venture Tahaluf.[2][3][4]

Its Founding Strategic Partner is the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), with recurring partnerships from the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), the Transport General Authority (TGA), and Saudi Aramco.[3]

History

The Saudi Maritime Congress was first held in 2014 in Dammam.[5][6] It was established as a forum for government entities and logistics specialists to discuss the development of Saudi Arabia's maritime sector.[3]

The 2020 edition of the Saudi Maritime Congress was originally scheduled for March 22–23, 2020, but was cancelled because of international travel restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2020, International Maritime Industries (IMI) was announced as a strategic partner of the 2020 edition of the congress.[7]

The congress took place on 28–29 September 2022 in Dammam.[8] The programme focused on digitalisation and modern technology in the maritime sector, including autonomous applications, big data, and decarbonisation solutions aligned with targets set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).[9]

The 2023 edition was held on 20–21 September 2023 in Dammam.[10][11] The 2023 edition focused on ship management, offshore energy transition, maritime education, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations, and smart port developments, and smart port developments.[12]

The programme sessions covered the expansion of logistics hubs and railway connectivity, the digitisation of vessel operations, and developments, including the NEOM project and its Oxagon floating industrial island.[13]

The fifth edition took place on 18–19 September 2024 at Dhahran Expo in Dammam.[3] Partners for the 2024 edition were Bahri and Seatrade Maritime as founding partners, Mawani and TGA as main partners, and Saudi Aramco and IMI as strategic partners.[3][10][14][15]

The sixth edition was held on 1 October 2025 at Dhahran Expo in Dammam. Speakers included Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser.[16]

Format

The congress runs over two days, combining a conference programme with an international trade exhibition. Sessions are hosted across a main plenary stage and a secondary stage, featuring keynote addresses, panel discussions, and specialist presentations. Attendees have included government ministers, shipping executives, maritime regulators, investors, and academics.[3][16] The event is free to attend.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gazette, Saudi (2019-03-09). "Saudi Maritime Congress to tackle role of shipping & logistic sectors". Saudi Gazette. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  2. ↑ "السعودية تستضيف أكبر تجمع بحري في سبتمبر المقبل". aawsat.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Saudi Maritime & Logistics Congress returns for bigger, better 5th edition". Arab News. 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  4. ↑ "Saudi Events Investment Fund acquires stake in Tahaluf to harness global exhibition opportunities". Arab News. 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  5. ↑ "KSA Business: Maritime to play big role in Saudi development: minister". www.gdnonline.com. 2017-12-05. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  6. ↑ El-Nakib, Islam (2014). "Port-Centric Logistics: A new perspective". Port-Centric Logistics (in Catalan). doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3291.1209.
  7. ↑ Gazette, Saudi (2020-01-13). "International Maritime Industries to play key role at Saudi Maritime Congress 2020". Saudi Gazette. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  8. ↑ "انطلاق المؤتمر السعودي البحري 2022.. سبتمبر". عكاظ (in Arabic). 2022-08-28. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  9. ↑ "انطلاق المؤتمر السعودي البحري 2022.. سبتمبر". عكاظ (in Arabic). 2022-08-28. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  10. 1 2 الوطن, جريدة (2024-05-09). "المؤتمر السعودي البحري واللوجستي يعود مجدداً إلى الدمام في سبتمبر 2024". جريدة الوطن (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  11. ↑ العدواني, أحمد (2024-05-09). "انطلاق المؤتمر السعودي البحري واللوجستي في سبتمبر المقبل لرسم مستقبل النقل في المملكة والخليج". صحيفة عاجل (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  12. ↑ "Saudi Maritime Congress brings global spotlight to Kingdom's shipping and logistics sectors". Arab News. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  13. ↑ "المؤتمر السعودي البحري يبرز أهم مشاريع المملكة لتعزيز التكامل في القطاع البحري العالمي". www.emaratalyoum.com (in Arabic). 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  14. ↑ "ABS opens maritime technology centre in Saudi Arabia". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  15. ↑ "200 شركة و60 شخصية رائدة في المؤتمر السعودي البحري اللوجستي 5". Al Yaum.
  16. 1 2 "انطلاق فعاليات المؤتمر السعودي البحري واللوجستي 2025 في الدمام". العربية (in Arabic). 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
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