RIYADH — The Saudi Railway Company (SAR), in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, is racing to prepare for the 2020 Railway Forum, under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. The event has garnered the interest of ministers, leaders and influential figures in the transport industry from different countries around the world, and is yet another achievement to be added to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s economic renaissance in various fields, the most important of which is the transport sector, which is one of the pillars of the Kingdom's 2030 vision.

The forum, which will be held on January 28- 29 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, seeks to showcase the latest findings of the railways and transportation industry, while expanding the horizons of cooperation between concerned international companies, and employing the capabilities with the requirements of development and growth in the transport sector via railways. It also aims to elaborate modern national programs to develop this industry.

The forum also aims to shed light on the development and growth of the railway sector in the Kingdom, and to attract pioneering investments with local and global partnerships to highlight the Kingdom's role as a major center for transport services in the region. It hopes to place the railways sector in the Kingdom on the global map, by attracting pioneers in the transportation sector, and creating a platform International to present results that vary between new concepts, exchange of successful experiences, put forward distinctive ideas, learn about modern technologies in the railway sector, and meet with influential people.

Ammar bin Ahmed Al Nahdi, Director General of Corporate Communications and Marketing at SAR said: “The forum will witness - on the first day - a discussion session titled “Towards 2030”, in which His Excellency the Saudi Minister of Transport Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser will take part with a group of transport ministers around the world. It will be followed by the participation of CEOs from the most prominent international companies in another similar session. The second day will include three presentations, the first of which will be related to "safety and security in the railway industry". The discussion sessions will also include discussions about: the "global trade paths to expand business"; "infrastructure development"; "expansion activities in local markets"; "increased demographic pressures and urban expansion"; "organizing future development"; "investing in pipeline projects"; “Railways Transport and Logistics ”; “Competitive Advantage”; “Logistical Advantages of Railways”; “Multimodal Supply Chain”; “Future of Railways”; “Hyperloop System”; “Technological Innovation”; “Rail Operations Operations Technologies”; “Smart Rail, Improving Customer Experience”; “Safe Digital Wallet", and " Governance and investment".

Al-Nahdi thanked the group of partners who sponsored the event, including the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden), the Etihad Rail Company, SABIC, the Bahri Company, the Public Authority for Transport and others. — SG