The Secretary General of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafy, stated that "maritime transport is the most important means of international transport of goods, as it accounts for 85% of the volume and 75% of the value of international trade, and it is the least expensive among all means of transport."
"The Coronavirus pandemic has caused successive waves of shocks to global maritime transport, which is expected to decline by 4.1% in 2020. However, challenges have laid the foundations for a changing industry and its associated supply chains," he said.
Hanafy's statement came during his participation as a speaker in the second working session held within the work of the ninth Arab-Hellenic Economic Forum, under the title “Developments in Maritime and Ports Sectors, Investment Opportunities and Future Potentials”.
Hanafy further explained that "the Arab world occupies a pivotal role in the field of international trade and enjoys a strategic location between continents, while Greece is distinguished as the border country in the European Union with the longest coastline for the neighborhood," pointing to "the importance of the Suez Canal, which is the most marine area linking the world's economies with each other."
He said, "Greek-Arab cooperation needs to catch up with the fourth industrial revolution and exchange experiences in this field in order to enhance the mechanisms of technological development for ports and maritime shipping. As the increase in shipping via e-commerce will increase pressure on storage and distribution capacity, therefore, it is important to expand distribution centers and warehouses, given the changes brought about by the disruptions caused by COVID-19.”
Hanafy called for "the importance of moving our relations to a strategic alliance relationship by developing cooperation in ports logistics, multimodal transport and facilitating trade, thus reducing the time and cost of marketing and distribution, in addition to the vital role as commercial maritime transport hubs not only in the Mediterranean and Arab regions but also for other continents of the world."
He also stressed the necessity of establishing a land and sea link between Greece and the Arab world, in parallel with the establishment of joint economic zones that would greatly enhance the vital interests of Greece and the Arab world. Here, governments must play an effective role in facilitating and developing maritime transport by coordinating and unifying regulations and standards and simplifying reducing container clearance costs, and investing in port infrastructure and facilities in partnership with the private sector.
Source (Union of Arab Chambers)
