Saudi Arabia is supporting the first Global Supply Chain Forum. 

The forum, which will take place from May 21 to 24, will help make global production and distribution networks more sustainable and resilient as they face unprecedented challenges.

Forum Scope

• Geopolitical tensions and climate change are putting unprecedented pressure on global supply  chains.
• The inaugural Global Supply Chain Forum will explore solutions for greener, more efficient, and more resilient global production and distribution networks.
• The Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) and UNCTAD have a long-standing maritime transportation and logistics partnership.

Through its port authority, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has provided funding to support the inaugural Global Supply Chain Forum, organized by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Barbados.

The forum, which will take place in Bridgetown from May 21-24, will bring together government officials, business leaders, and experts from around the world to tackle the growing global logistics challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical shifts, climate change, and rising maritime freight rates.

"The Saudi Ports Authority MAWANI reaffirms its commitment to enhancing the resilience of the global supply chain and promoting international cooperation," the port authority said.

In recent years, global supply chains, vital for producing and distributing goods ranging from cars and clothes to food and medicine, have been under unprecedented pressure. In particular, key trade routes are in crisis, with attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, severe disruption to Suez Canal shipping, turmoil in the Black Sea due to the war in Ukraine, and the effects of drought-induced water level drops in the Panama Canal.

A Biennial Global Forum to Strengthen Supply Chains

The inaugural Global Supply Chain Forum aims to promote innovative solutions for building greener, more efficient, resilient global production and distribution networks. The biennial event aims to transform trade opportunities into shared development gains for vulnerable economies, particularly the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states.

A Long-Term Partnership

UNCTAD and MAWANI have a long-standing partnership that includes organizing joint workshops on ship connectivity for maritime industry professionals, technical visits to the port of Jeddah, and seminars on the key findings of the UN Trade and Development's Maritime Transport Review. In this context, the ports authority notes that its partnership with UN Trade and Development "has been crucial in advancing discussions on ship connectivity, maritime transport, and logistical challenges."