As part of joint Arab efforts to enhance preparedness and coordination in responding to maritime disasters, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (Department of Housing, Water Resources, and Disaster Risk Reduction), in cooperation with the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport and with the participation of several Arab, regional, and international organisations, will convene the first regional technical meeting and Arab exercise simulating a maritime disaster. The event was held from 16 to 18 November 2025 in Aqaba, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
This event forms part of the implementation of the Arab Programme for Reducing the Risks of Maritime Disasters, adopted at the seventh meeting of the Arab Coordination Mechanism for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in October 2025. The programme seeks to build the capacities of Arab states in preparedness and response to maritime disasters and in the protection of coastal environments from marine pollution caused by accidents and maritime activities.
His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Maliki, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Economic Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States, affirmed that convening this meeting and the first regional Arab exercise reflects the commitment of the League and its member states to strengthening Arab maritime security and developing mechanisms for field and technical cooperation. He noted that the Arab Programme for Reducing the Risks of Marine Disasters constitutes a pioneering step towards unifying efforts and enhancing coordination among specialised Arab institutions in addressing shared risks.
The meeting and exercise gathered experts and representatives from national disaster risk reduction agencies, and from the ministries of transport, environment, and civil defense in Arab countries, as well as specialised organisations such as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and several research and academic centres.
The event will feature presentations of national and regional response plans, and a field exercise simulating a large-scale marine pollution incident to test preparedness and coordinate roles among the various stakeholders. The results of the initial technical assessment of marine risks in the Arab region will also be presented, and discussions will be held on mechanisms for establishing an Arab centre for early warning of marine disasters.
The meeting underscores the importance of investing in joint Arab capabilities and exchanging expertise to mitigate the effects of marine disasters and to promote environmental sustainability and economic security in Arab countries, in line with the Arab Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (2018–2030) and the priorities of the Arab Coordination Mechanism for Disaster Risk Reduction.
