The maritime sector is a key pillar for the diversification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s economy, and it has been prioritised by the Saudi government due to its strategic importance. Saudi Vision 2030 has set a target for making KSA a global logistics hub. Correspondingly, the Kingdom has been investing heavily in its seaports to modernize their infrastructure and increase their capacity. For instance, several projects are now underway to boost the maritime transport sector, costing around 6 billion Saudi Arabian riyals (SAR) (USD $1.6 billion).

Fellow- Transportation & Infrastructure
Dr. AHM Mehbub Anwar is a fellow at KAPSARC. He currently leads the Energy Decision Model for Maritime, which results…
Dr. AHM Mehbub Anwar is a fellow at KAPSARC. He currently leads the Energy Decision Model for Maritime, which results in research outcomes as well as advisory inputs for the energy ecosystem across the Kingdom. This project investigates future port activity including seaborne trade and fuel consumption in the shipping sector both locally and globally. He also works on the KAPSARC Spatial Urban Energy System (KSUES) project. Prior to joining KAPSARC, he worked in Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW), a state government organisation, as a transport planner, and at the University of Wollongong (UOW) in Australia as a researcher. He led the update on the state of transport in the TfNSW regions as part of the strategic planning for its Future Transport 2056. He has also worked as a lecturer at Khulna University of Bangladesh, and was later promoted to a professor in urban transport planning. He holds a Ph.D. with an examiners’ commendation for an outstanding thesis from the UOW. His thesis focused on modeling travellers’ preference heterogeneity.
Expertise
- Urban sustainable mobility
- Port activity
- Alternative fuels and enerygy efficiency
- Choice modeling
- Future transport strategy at local and national level
Publications See all Ahm Mehbub Anwar’s publications

A Review Approach to Understanding the Current Status of Port Resilience: Lessons Learned for GCC Ports
The maritime sector is a key pillar for the diversification of the Kingdom of Saudi…
14th January 2025
Analyzing the Interplay of Urbanization, Economic Development, and Seaborne Trade A Case of Saudi Arabia
The maritime sector is a key pillar for the diversification of the Kingdom of Saudi…
18th December 2024