At this year’s Saudi Arabia G20 Presidency Webinar Series held on 5 November 2020, PSA International’s Regional CEO Middle East South Asia and Head of Group Business Development Wan Chee Foong shared how the PSA Group’s global experience is leveraged to develop the port and logistics arena in Saudi Arabia to the next level under Saudi Vision 2030.

The Webinar Series was organised by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Singapore and supported by the G20 Saudi Secretariat, in co-operation with Sun Media and EEXPO.SG. During the webinar, the speakers shared insights on the role of digital technology and its impact on the workforce and productivity, amidst a tight global labour market.

Among other milestones achieved in the last five years of operations in Dammam by Saudi Global Ports (SGP), Chee Foong also highlighted the successful consolidation of the two terminals within the port of Dammam in October 2020 as being key to developing the port of the future for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

SGP, a member of the PSA Group, successfully assumed management of both the First and Second Container Terminals in King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam (KAPD) on 1 October, making SGP the sole container terminal operator of the port. This development will help to establish a stronger Saudi workforce core with robust skills and infrastructure, as the Group works alongside partners to transform KAPD into a global mega container hub.

In terms of the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s workforce, Chee Foong said: “We are preparing for the hub to grow [in handling capacity]. The use of technology is key in order to create higher value-added jobs… Saudi Global Ports will be able to do more, with a workforce that is provided with the right technology and skills too.”

The webinar also featured four other distinguished speakers, including business leaders in Singapore and Saudi Arabia. Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Singapore H.E. Saad Saleh Al Saleh gave an opening address and Ms Nomita Dhar, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Sun Media moderated the programme.

For a full recording of the webinar, click HERE.