LR and MAWANI sign three-year MoU to support Saudi Arabia’s maritime and ports sector

Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore cooperation in developing Saudi Arabia’s maritime and ports sectors, with a focus on governance, sustainability, digitalisation, regulatory compliance and workforce development.

The agreement was signed by His Excellency Eng. Suliman Al-Mazroua, President of MAWANI, and Nick Brown, CEO of Lloyd’s Register. Under the MoU, the organisations will assess potential areas of collaboration in maritime administration, risk management, innovation, maritime insurance, training and professional qualifications.

The partnership aligns with Saudi Arabia’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy, launched in 2021, which aims to establish the Kingdom as a global logistics hub.

A key area of cooperation will involve strengthening maritime governance and port administration through LR’s technical and advisory expertise. Proposed activities include organisational assessments, competency frameworks, leadership development, stakeholder engagement, and the development of policies and procedures aligned with international standards.

The agreement also identifies environmental management and maritime decarbonisation as areas for potential collaboration. LR and MAWANI will explore environmental management systems, green port programmes and decarbonisation initiatives, alongside measures to strengthen environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies, performance indicators and reporting frameworks.

Workforce development is another focus of the MoU. The organisations will explore initiatives to strengthen links between educational institutions and industry, support workforce localisation and expand opportunities for Saudi nationals, including women’s participation and career development across the maritime sector.

James Frew, Maritime Advisory & Energy Sales Director at LR, said: “This agreement reflects our shared ambition to support a safe, sustainable and future-ready maritime sector in line with Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to position itself as a global logistics hub. By combining MAWANI’s national leadership with LR’s international maritime and technical experience, we can identify practical opportunities to strengthen capability and accelerate innovation to support a sustainable maritime and ports sector for the Kingdom.”

Abdullah Al Munif, Vice President of Commercial Business at MAWANI, said: “Our collaboration with Lloyd’s Register will support MAWANI’s efforts to advance operational excellence, develop national capabilities and strengthen the international competitiveness of Saudi ports. It also creates a platform for knowledge exchange and cooperation on digitalisation, helping us explore how better use of data and technology can support more efficient, resilient port operations and prepare for the future needs of maritime trade.”

The new agreement builds on an existing collaboration between the two organisations. In January 2025, LR was appointed under a separate contract to support management systems and certification preparation at four Saudi ports: Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, Yanbu Commercial Port and Jubail Commercial Port.

That engagement covered the development of quality and environmental procedures aligned with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards, as well as support for Port State Control processes and personnel training.