Lloyd's Register and MAWANI Sign MoU to Boost Saudi Maritime Sector

Lloyd's Register (LR) and the Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore collaboration on the continued development of Saudi Arabia's maritime and port sectors. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Engineer Suliman Al-Mazroua, Chairman of MAWANI, and LR CEO Nick Brown, and will run for a period of three years.

During that period, both organizations will explore opportunities spanning maritime governance and capacity building, sustainability, digitalization, regulatory compliance and risk management, while also considering collaboration on innovation, marine insurance, training and professional qualifications. The partnership is aligned with Saudi Arabia's National Transport and Logistics Strategy, launched in 2021, which aims to position the Kingdom as a global logistics hub.

Planned activities include governance and organizational assessments, competency frameworks, leadership development and the creation of policies aligned with international standards. On the sustainability front, LR and MAWANI will explore environmental management systems, decarbonization initiatives and green port programs, alongside strengthening environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies and performance indicators.

James Frew, Sales Director for Maritime and Energy Advisory at LR, said the agreement reflects a shared ambition to support a safe, sustainable and future-ready maritime sector, in line with Saudi Arabia's goal of positioning itself as a global logistics hub. For his part, Abdullah Al Munif, Vice President of Commercial Business at MAWANI, noted that the collaboration will support operational excellence, national capability development and the international competitiveness of Saudi ports, as well as create a platform for knowledge exchange on digitalization.

Developing Saudi maritime talent will be another priority, with potential measures to strengthen links between education and industry, support workforce localization and expand women's participation in the sector. The MoU builds on prior cooperation between LR and MAWANI: under a contract announced in January 2025, LR was appointed to support management systems and certification readiness at Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, Yanbu Commercial Port and Jubail Commercial Port, with a scope that included quality and environmental procedures aligned with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, as well as support for Port State Control processes.