Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, advisor to the Royal Court and general supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), emphasized the critical role of logistics services in driving economic development. He highlighted that logistics facilitate the movement of goods, reduce costs, improve supply chain efficiency, and enable companies to maintain their competitive edge, thereby fostering greater prosperity.

Dr. Al Rabeeah made these remarks while addressing the dialogue session titled: "Logistics services: the heart of global trade" at the Global Logistics Forum 2024 in Riyadh on Sunday.

The event, organized by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics, drew over 10,000 participants, including leaders and officials from the logistics sector, as well as representatives from the public and private sectors, experts, senior executives, and pioneers from around the world.

Dr. Al-Rabeeah expressed concern about the impact of increasing local and regional crises on the delivery of humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations. These crises sometimes prevent aid from reaching those in need or necessitate delivery through neighboring countries or after displacement. Conflicts have made key transport routes, such as the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, more vulnerable, and the rise in cyberattacks has disrupted government systems, hospitals, private companies, and communications networks.

To address these issues, Dr. Al-Rabeeah proposed establishing a Logistics Aid Council, composed of governments, regulatory bodies, transport authorities, private sector companies, and NGOs. The council would aim to ensure unrestricted access to airports, air corridors, and refueling facilities for aid-carrying aircraft, waive all fees and taxes on such aircraft, and simplify aid delivery to reduce costs and address the growing humanitarian funding gap.