- Active exchange of seafarers between the two nations expected to increase the number of Korean seafarers relocating abroad -

 

  On May 8th, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries signed an MoU with the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services of Saudi Arabia for the mutual recognition of marine engineer licenses at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul with the aim of further strengthening cooperation in the shipping and port sectors.

 

 

 The Memorandum of Understanding provides details on the mutual recognition of maritime certification documents issued by the counterparty, such as marine officer licenses, that are required to allow foreign maritime officers on board national vessels, as well as on the mutual cooperation in the development of the shipping and port sectors between the two countries.

 

 

 Since commencing the discussion regarding the MoU in November 2022 based on the suggestion of the Saudi government, Minister Cho Seung Hwan of Oceans and Fisheries visited Saudi Arabia last March to come to an agreement, which was finally signed by both parties during the recent visit by the Saudi delegates, led by the Minister of Transport and Logistic Services of Saudi Arabia, Saleh Al-Jasser.

 

 

 This will lay the foundation for the active exchange of maritime officers between the two countries, which is expected to help more Korean seafarers secure employment overseas at the state-owned shipping companies of Saudi Arabia.

 

 

 A bilateral meeting is to be held after the MoU-signing ceremony to identify future cooperation projects in the shipping and port sectors. During Minister Cho’s visit to Saudi in March, the two sides mutually recognized the need for joint-cooperation on eco-friendly transformation and digital innovation in the shipping and port sectors, the common interests of both nations. Based on this understanding, the two parties agreed to promote various forms of cooperation, including joint research, technology exchanges, and workshops.

 

 The meeting will be followed by a welcome dinner hosted by Minister Cho, with key representatives from Korea’s construction, engineering, and shipping industries to broaden ties between Korean companies and the Saudi Ministry of Transportation and Logistic Services, a major client in the Middle East overseas port construction market.

 

 Meanwhile, the Saudi delegate from the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services plans to visit the Busan New Port, Korea’s representative port, on May 10th, to tour the construction and operation sites of its container ports and the logistics centers in the hinterland complex, as well as to learn about the transformation process into leading smart ports through the introduction of smart port equipment.