The winners of the Dubai Maritime Innovation Award were revealed in a special awarding ceremony held at Dubai Maritime Summit 2018, a high-level gathering of experts being staged during the UAE Maritime Week 2018. The award recipients consisting of national, regional, and international companies were honored for their pioneering efforts to advance creativity and innovation in the local maritime sector. The attendees praised Dubai’s pioneering position as an incubator for innovation and creativity across all sectors, especially the maritime sector, which is an important and vital source of the global economy.

H.E. Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free zone Corporation and Chairman of DMCA, said: “We recognized the contributions of innovators and distinguished individuals to Dubai’s steady rise on the global stage. Creativity and innovation play a key role in the local maritime community’s comprehensive growth, attractiveness, and competitiveness. Promoting them in the maritime industry is in response to the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who said, ‘The UAE has adopted innovation as an institutional approach and a community culture.’ We are pleased that the Dubai Maritime Summit hosted the Dubai Maritime Innovation Award once again. The contributions and initiatives of this year’s winners have further driven the sector’s growth, development, and prosperity, using innovation and creativity as tools to achieve their objectives. We thank them for helping us steer Dubai and the UAE towards becoming the leading maritime centers in the world.”

H.E Bin Sulayem added: “We are proud of this year’s edition of the awards, particularly in the move to recognize the efforts and exemplary leadership of H.E. Dr. Eng. Abdullah Balheif Al Nuaimi, who has largely contributed to the continuing development of the UAE maritime industry. We are also grateful for the important role he played in the UAE’s winning of Category B Membership in the International Maritime Organization Council–a firstof-its-kind achievement in the Arab world.”

The ceremony included the distribution of awards of appreciation for companies that included Bahri from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Clarksons Platou DMCC from the United Kingdom, Gulf Energy Maritime GEM from the UAE, LUKOIL Marine Lubricants (DMCC) from Russia, and Maersk from Denmark.

Amer Ali, Executive Director, DMCA, said: “We value the efforts directed towards promoting the sector’s growth, development, and prosperity using innovation and creativity, which is aligned with our relentless efforts to achieve the objectives of Dubai Innovation Strategy to make the emirate among the most innovative cities in the world.”

He added: “The Dubai Maritime Innovation Award reflects Dubai and its journey towards becoming an international center for excellence and maritime innovation. We thank all the winners for their commitment to foster innovation, promote research and development, and enhance the local maritime community’s competitiveness, comprehensiveness and attractiveness.”

The ongoing Dubai Maritime Summit 2018 will run until November 1, 2018. International Decision and policy makers, government officials, experts, and maritime leaders have gathered for the summit to discuss the latest industry developments and explore the most promising solutions and opportunities across Dubai’s maritime sector. Besides the summit, other ongoing events are the Maritime Future Leaders Seminar; the Emirates Maritime Arbitration Conference; the Sea Trade Middle East Maritime Exhibition, the largest maritime exhibition in the Middle East; the Maritime Innovation Day organized by the DMCA in cooperation with Det Norske Veritas GL (DNV GL); and the Overseas Conference organized by Clarksons Platou.