Saturday 10 / May / 2025
Muscat: Industry leaders from around the world will be visiting Muscat this November to attend the highly-anticipated International Road Union (IRU) World Congress.
The three-day global logistics conference will be held between November 6 and 8, and is expected to unite global experts, government officials, and business executives to discuss the future of the logistics sector. The theme for the 2018 event will be "Innovation on the Move."
The conference will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Asaad bin Tariq Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Personal Representative to His Majesty.
"As Oman's flagship logistics group, this event will further support our efforts to lead the implementation of the Sultanate's Logistics Strategy 2040 and raise Oman's logistics profile on the global stage," said Nabil bin Salim Al Bimani, Group Chief for Ports and Freezones at Asayad and a member of the IRU World Congress Organising Committee. "Businesses and regulators are all facing increasing market disruption. This event brings together renowned experts and high profile speakers to examine the challenges and create solutions affecting the world's transport and trade networks."
Boris Blanchester, Managing Director of IRU, praised Oman for hosting this year’s event.
"Transport, logistics, and mobility are changing quickly, becoming increasingly digital, connected, and automated," said Blanchester. "At the heart of ancient and modern trade corridors, with its comprehensive logistics strategy and ongoing reform of passenger transport, Oman is an excellent place for the industry, governments, and the international community to come together this November."
Salim bin Mohammed Al Naimi, Undersecretary of Transport at the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Chairman of the IRU World Congress Organising Committee, said at a recent press conference that Oman’s hosting was confirmation of its achievements in the fields of transportation and logistics.
"The IRU World Congress’s selection of Oman to host such a prestigious event is a testament to the quality and future of the transportation and logistics infrastructure within the Sultanate,” he said.
Situated at the centre of some of the most dynamic transport and trade corridors in the world, Oman is working on becoming one of the leading logistics players in the coming years. Developments in transportation, trade, and logistics, combined with the Sultanate’s 2020 and 2040 strategies in place, means the country has come to the forefront as an ideal host for the 2018 IRU World Congress.
"Oman is an up and coming logistics hub with a modern and fast diversifying economy," Al Naimi emphasised. "We continue to leverage innovation as a tool to advance in today’s highly competitive and connected global market.”
Over three days, leaders from around the world will come together to shape the future of road transport and trade. Centred around innovation, the programme will address logistics, technology, and the rapidly revolving industry. Participants will be able to network and exchange ideas and best practices through innovative and interactive sessions.
