The Regional Presence Office of the International Maritime Organization for Arab States in the Middle East and North Africa region was launched, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety.
His Excellency Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development, Minister of Industry and Transport, and H.E Mr. Arsenio Antonio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), inaugurated the Regional Presence Office of the International Maritime Organization for Arab States in the Middle East and North Africa region, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety. The opening ceremony was attended by the H.E Vice Admiral Ahmed Khaled Hassan Said, Governor of Alexandria, H.E Vice Admiral Ashraf Atwa, Commander of the Egyptian Naval Forces, Rear Admiral-Nihad Shaheen, Deputy Minister of Transport for Maritime Sector Affairs, Rear Admiral Hussein El-Gezery, Chairman of the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety, Rear admiral Tarek Abdallah, Head of the Maritime Transport Sector, Rear Admiral Ahmed Hawash, Chairman of the Alexandria Port Authority, in addition to the participation of group of ambassadors and representatives of IMO member states .
The opening events included a field tour of the new headquarters of the Regional Office, where the modern capabilities and equipment that ensure the role of the Office in providing technical support and training to Member States in the region , and enhancing communication with other regional offices of the International Maritime Organization around the world.
It is worth noting that Egypt has taken the procedures to make the IMO Regional Office successful.These procedures began with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the International Maritime Organization on July 20, 2023, to host this office, which aims to coordinate with the International Maritime Organization to establish technical cooperation activities for Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, which contributes to raising the capabilities of maritime human resources in the region and building cadres capable of implementing the organization's instruments. The Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety has also equipped the headquarters of the Regional Presence Office at the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety in Alexandria, while providing the necessary infrastructure and technical equipment to ensure efficient workflow. Egypt has worked to facilitate procedures and cooperate with the stakeholders to ensure the success of the regional office's work and provide the required support.