THE INTERNATIONAL Maritime Organization has set up a regional presence office for the Middle East and North Africa.

The new office, based in Alexandria, Egypt, is to co-ordinate technical assistance in maritime safety, security and sustainability among countries in the region.

IMO established the office under its Regional Presence Scheme, which aims to give the organisation a “modest presence” in selected regions and facilitate its input into national and regional development policies.

IMO said the MENA region, home to critical trade routes such as the Suez Canal, holds an important role in global maritime trade and a strong commitment to supporting the industry.

The office is expected to strengthen the region’s capacity to enhance maritime governance and accelerate the transition to greener shipping. It would serve as a hub for monitoring progress, facilitating dialogue and finding ways to address the region’s maritime needs.

“This office will serve as a bridge, addressing regional maritime challenges by fostering collaboration, and ensuring that the voices and needs of MENA countries are effectively represented on the global stage,” IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said at the opening event in Alexandria.

The event was also attended by Lieutenant General Kamel Al-Wazir, deputy Prime Minister for industrial development, representing the government of Egypt.

“This achievement reflects the trust IMO places in Egypt and enhances its pivotal position in the maritime transport sector regionally and internationally,” he said.

“It reaffirms its leading role as a bridge for cooperation among the countries of the region, contributing to the development of the maritime sector and fostering integration among Arab nations.”

The new MENA Regional Presence Office is part of a global network that includes existing offices in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire for West and Central Africa; Accra, Ghana for West and Central Africa; Nairobi, Kenya for Eastern and Southern Africa; Manila, the Philippines for East Asia; and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago for the Caribbean.

IMO is currently in the process of opening the regional presence office in Fiji for the Pacific region.