Saudi Arabia is gearing up to be the world’s premier maritime hub. As demand for sustainable, cost-effective connectivity solutions soars, the maritime and logistics sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are expanding towards an impressive paradigm-shifting era of digitalisation.
This comes with economic diversification, policy reforms, and foreign direct investments over the next five years. In 2021, Saudi Arabia ranked 20th globally in the maritime transport sector and achieved the highest regional progress in the Maritime Connectivity Index, demonstrating its dedication to growing its maritime trade, entering new economic cities, and digitising vessel operations.
In addition, its maritime sector has doubled in the past decade, containing 53,000 ships that transport 11 billion tonnes of cargo a year and have registrations in more than 150 countries.
Enhancing Operational Efficiency via Digitalisation
Being present now is essential to remaining competitive and prepared for the future. Vessels need to remain online to fully benefit from such digital transformation initiatives. Having one or two L-band lines as a fallback option when VSAT is down has become commonplace. Yet, having a backup is no longer a guarantee of business continuity.
Moreover, as maritime operations digitalise at a fast pace, it is essential to make sure that chosen applications can remain operational in high- and low-bandwidth environments. IEC Telecom offers a range of improved applications to provide a perfect user experience with less traffic.
Additionally, a recent analysis by Accenture has shown that a digitally reinvented vessel could reduce operating costs by up to 20% in five years while increasing revenue by up to 15%. The availability of a digital infrastructure empowers the maritime industry to streamline its operations and remotely monitor, maintain, and secure its assets. Further, digitalisation has permanently changed ship-to-shore communications.
Today, seafarers can easily collaborate with an extended team onshore without any interruption in the navigation schedule. Numerous specialised applications have made it possible to remotely perform crew training, troubleshooting, and even health examinations. Furthermore, digitally enabled operational measures allow vessels to avoid unnecessary detours and achieve 10-20% greater energy efficiency.
Eventually, this cutting-edge Satcom technology is in line with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) targets for the shipping industry to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. By using affordable, sustainable connectivity options to grow its maritime and logistics industries towards digitalisation, Saudi Arabia is poised to emerge as the world’s preeminent maritime hub.
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