Tasneef boosts UAE’s position as global maritime hub

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business

The ‘UAE Summit of Marine and Maritime Leaders’ and the ‘Abu Dhabi Maritime Youth Summit for Empowering Emirati Youth Leaders in Maritime Domain’ have successfully concluded in Abu Dhabi. They were held under the patronage of HE Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development, and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority-Land & Maritime.
The two summits brought together prominent marine and maritime leaders from across the world. They discussed challenges that face marine shipping, and oil and gas. Participants exchanged ideas on the new options for governments and companies to improve the environment and enhance investments and profitability.
The two summits drew great attention from top decision makers in the marine and maritime industries in the UAE. They were held under a strategic partnership with the General Command of UAE Armed Forces, and sponsored by major national companies including Abu Dhabi Ports, National Marine Dredging Company, and National Drilling Company.
“The UAE relies on the maritime sector to maintain its position as the second largest economy in the Arab World, and to increase non-oil revenues in accordance with its strategy to diversity economy. Therefore, we look at such meetings and conferences differently from other conferences. We have been following our successes in this sector and found that it is important to create platforms for these forums. The success of both summits, which were held for the second time in Abu Dhabi, was the result of decades-long preparations for the UAE to lead the international maritime sector. This success also coincides with the government’s efforts to build a sustainable economy that is not reliant on oil and gas and is not affected by price fluctuations. This contributed to the development and prosperity of the UAE,” said Al Nuaimi.
“This year, we listened to international maritime leaders, and learned their aspirations and needs to overcome the challenges facing companies and business people. We promise them to develop our legal and procedural systems and build more marine facilities, so that our ports become the top destination globally for docking ships and providing stability for their businesses. We are striving to make the UAE flag one of the most preferred flags for ship owners around the world,” added Al Nuaimi.
Al Nuaimi noted that the UAE will seek to be a key member of the executive council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2017. “We obtained the necessary approvals from the concerned authorities in the UAE and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and we will work closely with stakeholders, ports and everyone in the maritime sector to have a permanent representation in the International Maritime Organization in London. We strive to have a key role in the IMO that reflects the importance of the maritime sector for the UAE and for the people in this field, while working to have a greater role in this sector,” added Al Nuaimi.
“Hosting the two summits for the second time in Abu Dhabi, adds to the roster of our achievements. We have succeeded in consolidating the position of the UAE to be a major player in the international maritime sector. We have provided the opportunity for national marine leaders to engage in dialogue with their international counterparts. This is the starting point for long-term partnerships, especially that we have unlimited support from decision-makers in the UAE to develop the investment environment for the maritime industry to be the best in the world,” said Rashed Al Hebsi, Chief Executive Officer of the Emirates Classification Society ‘Tasneef’.
“The enthusiasm of national companies to sponsor the two summits, the attendees from national and international maritime leaders, and the outcomes and ideas that resulted from the summits were new and really exceptional. They will significantly impact the development of the national maritime strategy, as well as influence international trends in the maritime industry,” added Al Hebsi.
Al Hebsi emphasised the importance of organising the Maritime Youth Summit in conjunction with the UAE Summit of Marine and Maritime Leaders in Abu Dhabi.
“We invested the presence of marine leaders by organising direct dialogues between them and young Emiratis who are looking forward to joining the maritime sector. Such meetings help young Emiratis acquire experiences and enhance their confidence in their abilities to achieve global successes. They also learn about the great opportunities that the maritime industry can offer both on the job and trade levels,” he said.
Commenting on the success of the UAE Summit of Marine and Maritime Leaders for the fourth time in the UAE, Jannis Kostoulas, President of the Mare Forum said, the level of support we received from the Tasneef, the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi maritime companies and marine leaders was great.”

We look at the UAE as a permanent platform that will continue to add significant value to discussions and ideas that are exchanged among participants. This will contribute to shaping the future of the maritime industry and marine services, which are the backbone of international trade.”