The first Arab women's workshop on marine biofouling management on May 10-11, 2022.
Monday, 15 May 2023
The first Arab women's workshop on marine biofouling management was held on May 10-11, 2022, in Jeddah with the support of the General Authority for Transport in Saudi Arabia, as part of the celebration of Arab women working in the maritime sector and the International Day of Women in the Maritime Sector held on May 18, 2023.
The event discussed the opportunities available for women in the field of biofouling management, identified existing gender gaps and obstacles, and recommended solutions through three fruitful working groups led by specialized experts:
Group 1: Education, training and capacity building.
Group 2: Business opportunities and financing.
Group 3: Women visibility and leadership.
The workshop also aimed to increase the awareness of women working in the maritime sector in the Middle East and North Africa about the general principles of biofouling management to prevent the introduction of alien invasive species into the marine environment. It also highlighted its importance in protecting maritime vessels, biodiversity, and addressing climate change.
The Arab Women's Association in the Maritime Sector (AWIMA) participated as a strategic partner, with the attendance of Her Excellency Engineer/ Hessa Al Malek, President of AWIMA and representative of the United Arab Emirates, Ms. Shireene Galal Monir, Director of AWIMA General Secretariat, Ms. Reem Qutish, treasure and representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Captain/ Fatuma Ali, Board Member and representative of the Republic of Djibouti.
The workshop was attended by a group of specialized experts in biofouling management, including women empowerment experts:
- Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, former President of the World Maritime University.
- Ms. Lilia Khodjet El Khil, Project Technical Manager, GloFouling Partnerships project, IMO
- Ms.Nazli selek - WISTA
- Ms.Omaimah Bamasag, Deputy of Transportation Enablement, Transport General Authority, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Ms. Gyorgyi Gurban, Head, Projects Implementation, Department of Partnerships and Projects, International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- Ms. Hayat Al-Yabis, Director of the International Organizations and Agreements Management Department at the Transport General Authority, and the Alternate Representative to the IMO.
- Ms. Yeongjoo Baek, Project Technical Manager, TEST Biofouling, IMO .
- Sanjam Sahi Gupta, Director, Sitara Shipping.
- Ms.Lina Eyouni, Manager, Marine planning and monitoring, Environmental Sustainability, Red Sea Global.
- Ms. Leila Ben Hassen, Founder & CEO, Blue Jay Communication Ltd.
The participating delegations conducted a field visit to Jeddah Islamic Port and DP World Company, and met with prominent female personnel. They also visited historic Jeddah, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The General Secretariat of the Arab Women's Association in the maritime sector expresses its sincere gratitude and appreciation for the exceptional efforts in empowering women and the remarkable contribution of the International Maritime Organization in the field of biofouling. It has been an inspiring and innovative achievement in both of these areas.
Dedicating efforts to empower women in the maritime transport industry and committing to raising awareness about biofouling has had a significant impact on this industry. The efforts made to integrate these two areas have resulted in a unique approach that has the ability to inspire many people.
Thank you for your exceptional work and for being a role model for women in the maritime transport industry. Your contributions are invaluable, and we look forward to seeing more of your exceptional work in the future.