Saudi Arabia has unveiled the master plan to develop 59 logistics centres across the kingdom as part of its broader National Transport and Logistics Strategy, as it aims to become a global logistics hub.
The kingdom will complete the development of all centres by the end of this decade, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a statement carried by Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.
The push to develop the logistics infrastructure will help the kingdom further diversify its economy and bring more foreign direct investment to the country, SPA said without giving financial details of the master plan.
“The plan is part of a package of continuing initiatives set as targets by the [NTLS] … with the aim of developing the logistical sector to support the economy, increase the local, regional and international connections of the international trade networks and global supply chains,” Prince Mohammed, who is also chairman of the country’s Supreme Committee for Transport and Logistics, said.
The strategy will help the kingdom boost “the partnership with the private sector, and thus increase the opportunity to generate jobs, and make of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia a global logistical hub, given its geographical location among three important continents: Asia, Europe and Africa”, he added.
Under the master plan, the 59 centres will have total area of more than 100 million square meters. The kingdom is developing 12 centres each in Riyadh and Makkah regions, 17 in the Eastern region as well as 18 spread across the country.
“There are currently 21 centres being worked on. All centres will be completed by 2030,” SPA said.
Once completed, the planned centres will enable Saudi industries to export their products more efficiently and support the e-commerce sector, which will be a vital link between the logistics centres and distribution hubs in various regions, cities and governorates.
The development of the logistics sector is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader push to invest more than 500 billion riyals ($133bn) by 2030 to expand its transport sector.
The kingdom plans for more than 300 projects in transport and logistics through partnerships with the local and international private sector, Abdulaziz Al Duailej, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation said in July 2021.
The broader plan includes launching new airlines, expanding airports, broadening its railway network, increasing ports' capacity and developing logistics hubs across the kingdom.
A crucial goal of the strategy is to increase the contribution of the transport and logistics sectors to national gross domestic product by the end of this decade to 10 per cent, from 6 per cent in 2021.
It will increase the sectors' annual contribution to non-oil revenue to 45 billion riyals by 2030, officials said at the time.
Saudi Arabia, is pushing to diversify its economy away from oil to develop new sectors that can help it boost its non-oil economic growth.
The kingdom’s economy grew by 1.1 per cent in the second quarter, boosted by a sharp expansion in the country’s non-oil sector as the kingdom continues to pursue its diversification goals.
The non-oil sector grew 5.5 per cent in the three-month period to the end of June, compared with the same period in 2022, according to flash estimate by the General Authority for Statistics released earlier this month.
“The logistics services sector represents one of the promising pillars of economic diversification and development in the kingdom. It is currently witnessing many important initiatives and major developments aimed at developing the sector and expanding its economic and developmental contributions,” SPA said on Sunday. “The Ministry of Transport and Logistics seeks to develop the logistics industry, enhance the export strategy, expand investment opportunities and strike partnerships with the private sector.”
The Saudi economy expanded 8.7 per cent in 2022, the highest annual growth rate among the world's 20 biggest economies, driven by a rise in oil prices and the strong performance of its non-oil private sector.
However, growth will slow to 1.9 per cent this year, on the back of lower oil output, according to IMF estimates.
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The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
RESULTS
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Fireball
Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.
A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.
"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
