Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, UAE Maritime Week, a first-of-its-kind event on the regional map, kicked off today (October 28, 2018), with the participation of leading global maritime industry leaders attending to discuss the maritime sector’s future–especially in its thrust to adopt and promote a culture of innovation, knowledge and smart transformation. The week-long event proves to be timely and strategic following Dubai’s inclusion in the ranking of top five countries in the International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCD), a first of its kind recognition for an Arab city, which garnered praise and appreciation from international leaders for the pioneering position Dubai has attained in terms of excellence in maritime and logistics capabilities, a competitive environment that stimulates trade, business and investment.

The UAE Maritime Week 2018 agenda, which will run until November 1, 2018, kicked off  with Dubai Maritime Summit 2018, a strategic platform for the emirate to present its pioneering experience as one of the five most competitive and attractive maritime clusters in the world, where Dubai accommodates currently more than 7,400 companies and over 13,000 maritime and investment activities that will help contribute in the creation of more than 76,000 job opportunities. The Summit represents an ideal opportunity for international leaders to discuss the adoption of international best practices and innovative solutions in the global maritime sector, based on innovation, knowledge and joint cooperation. The Summit was inaugurated by H.E Dr. Abdullah bin Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development, and Chairman of Federal Transport Authority – Land and Maritime.

H.E Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Chairman of Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), pointed out that the Dubai Maritime Summit 2018, which is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, represents a major boost to the national and international efforts aimed at strengthening the maritime sector and serves as a forward step in the move to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development. This serves as a strategic platform to highlight Dubai’s pioneering experience the UAE’s leading position in the global maritime sector—falling in line with the wise leadership’s directives to make the maritime sector a central player in the move to enhance productivity and competitiveness to be at par with the best global economies by 2021.”

H.E Bin Sulayem said: “The current edition of the event is of particular significance as it coincides with the Year of Zayed, while we celebrate the immortal legacy of our founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his vision to achieve excellence in all fields, especially the maritime sector. The Summit is an important milestone in a series of achievements that Dubai has accomplished as an influential power on the global maritime map, led by the vision and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who made leadership our main goal and a platform for our efforts across all fields.”

H.E Bin Sulayem revealed the latest statistics on the number of maritime companies operating in Dubai, saying: “Dubai continues to move forward on the path of excellence, along with the leading global maritime clusters such as Singapore, Hamburg, Oslo, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Athens and London, having reached the ranks of the world’s best maritime capitals and currently hosts more than 7,400 major international companies, compared to 5,500 companies in 2016. The sector is set to contribute progressively to our GDP over the next few years. We are committed to supporting the outcome of the Summit, which has seen in-depth discussions on knowledge, innovation, smart transformation. They are important in overcoming obstacles and exploring investment opportunities to build a safe, renewable, sustainable and futuristic marine community.”

H.E. added: “The hosting of this international event is a reflection of Dubai’s and UAE’s commitment to strengthening international maritime cooperation and investment in research, development and innovation, while also playing pivotal roles in shaping the future of the global maritime landscape as a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council within the category B. The membership itself is a historic achievement and a proof of global confidence in our country, which adheres to international maritime protocols and conventions at the forefront of strategic priorities.”

This year’s Dubai Maritime Summit’s agenda featured five interactive sessions in the presence of leading figures in the global maritime sector. The opening session focused on ‘the reality in the global maritime sector and its preparations for the future,’ while the second session witnessed discussions on container transport, logistics and blockchain technology’s impact on them. The preparations and prospects for the major shipping markets dominated the discussions of the third session, while the fourth session focused on China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ Initiative and its impact on the Middle East’s maritime sector. The Summit will conclude with the fifth and final session, which highlights the issue of finance for shipping and financing options for ship owners, as well as the latest services and technologies in this field.

From his side, Amer Ali, Executive Director of Dubai Maritime City Authority said: “We are proud to host the UAE Maritime Week and the Dubai Maritime Summit once again in the presence of industry experts and policy-makers, to develop a clear roadmap to promote the maritime industry to reach the highest standards of excellence, sustainability and growth. This will be accomplished by leveraging Dubai’s pioneering position in the field of maritime innovation, research, development, excellence in services, smart transformation and human investment, which has made it the most competitive, attractive and comprehensive maritime complex in the world with the unlimited support and guidance from our wise leadership.  The Summit focuses on exploring the future of maritime industry from a new innovation perspective, through public-private partnerships to capitalize on the sector’s enormous opportunities. The success of the Summit adds significant momentum to our efforts to promote sharing of knowledge and expertise in the field of maritime technology and innovation, which has now become a major component of economic diversification away from oil.”

Dubai Maritime Summit 2018 attracted the participation of key speakers from the global maritime industry, headed by Esben Poulsson Chairman International Chamber of Shipping, Dr George D Pateras, President of Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and Hellenic Maritime Cluster; Claes Berglund, Vice President, European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA) and Director of Public Affairs & Sustainability; Stena AB; as well as Mohammed Al Muallem, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director UAE Region, DP World; Iqbal Alikhan, Program Director, Blockchains & Innovations IBM Middle East & Africa; and Dheeraj Bhatia, Senior Managing Director, Hapag Lloyd Middle East.

The discussions also featured Ralph Leszczynski, Global Head of Research, Banchero Costa Group; Capt. Harihar Prasad, Managing Director of McQuilling Shipping Services, DMCC; Ross Thompson, Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer at Abu Dhabi Ports; Rayan Qutub, Chief Executive Officer at King Abdullah Port; and Khalid Hashim, Managing Director of Precious Shipping. A number of speakers participated in the wrap-up sessions, including Bora Bariman, Head of Energy & Marine, Corporate and Institutional Banking; Adrian Economakis, Chief Operating Officer at VesselsValue; and DomenikNizet, Senior Vice President – Shipping Finance, Asia Pacific & Middle East at DVB Bank SE.

The UAE Maritime Week 2018 is expected to attract overwhelming participation following the success of the 2016 edition, which saw the participation of more than 400 exhibitors from leading global maritime companies and attracted 8,000 senior maritime experts and specialists’ visitors from the UAE, the region, and the world to discuss latest developments and to showcase the sector’s most promising solutions and opportunities. In addition to the Dubai Maritime Summit, the agenda includes important events such as the UAE Maritime Future Leaders Seminar, the evolution of maritime regulations and arbitration in the GCC, and Seatrade Maritime Middle East (SMME), the largest maritime exhibition in the Middle East. Seatrade Maritime Middle East Awards, the UAE Maritime Innovation Day organized by DMCA in collaboration with Det Norske Veritas GL company; and ClarksonsPlatou Middle East Shipping & Offshore Seminar organized by the world’s leading provider of integrated shipping services company Clarkson are also among the highlights.