The Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis paid an official visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 3 to 4 September at the invitation of the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Saleh bin Nasser bin Alali Aljasser.
As noted in a Deputy Ministry announcement, Hadjimanolis participated as a speaker in the Ministerial Panel of the '2nd Sustainable Maritime Industry Conference (SMIC25)', together with Ministers from other countries. It is noted that Hadjimanolis was the only Minister from a European Union country to participate, which underlines the close relationship between Cyprus and Saudi Arabia, as well as the active presence of the Republic of Cyprus in the wider Arabian Gulf region.
During her intervention, Hadjimanolis reiterated Cyprus's firm commitment to promoting a sustainable and innovative maritime ecosystem, emphasising the importance of international cooperation through the International Maritime Organization (IMO), enhancing maritime safety and efficiency, as well as upgrading the skills of seafarers.
On the sidelines of the Conference, Hadjimanolis held a new bilateral meeting with the Vice Minister of Transport of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Rumaih Mohammed Al-Rumaih, during which they exchanged views on international challenges in the maritime sector and referred mainly to the progress made since their recent bilateral meeting in Qatar, regarding the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The two sides confirmed their common intention to complete and sign the said Memorandum as soon as possible.
A bilateral meeting was also held with the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, where ways to deepen cooperation in the maritime sector were discussed. The Bahraini Minister expressed his country's strong interest in strengthening bilateral maritime relations with Cyprus and proposed the signing of an MoU to institutionalise the cooperation. At the same time, he confirmed his participation in the "Maritime Cyprus 2025" conference in Limassol, where a new meeting between the two Ministers was scheduled.
Within the framework of the Conference in Saudi Arabia, the Deputy Minister also had separate contacts and discussions with the Ministers of Transport of Dominica, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Montenegro and Somalia, focusing on promoting the candidacy of the Republic of Cyprus for re-election to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in view of the upcoming November elections in London.
Finally, during her stay, Hadjimanolis visited the offices of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Cyprus in Jeddah, Mohamed Abdulkader M. Alfadl, with whom they exchanged views on the presence of the Cypriot Community in Saudi Arabia, as well as the possibilities of strengthening trade and maritime relations between the two countries. Particular emphasis was given to the cruise sector, which presents great growth prospects.
In all meetings, the Deputy Minister was accompanied by the Ambassador of Cyprus to Saudi Arabia, Charis Moritsis.
