Leading players in the maritime sector put spotlight on the future status of maritime clusters and discussed the latest industry developments in terms of innovation and technology at a key summit in Dubai.
The 2nd Dubai Maritime Agenda is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Executive Council.
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of the Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation in Dubai and chairman of Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), said Dubai was making a major stride in its quest to become an outstanding global maritime hub by 2020.
“With our continuous achievements, we are more determined to promote innovation, knowledge enrichment, and smart transformation within the industry. Our strategic initiatives will consistently focus on infrastructure modernisation, policy development, integration of regulatory frameworks, and maritime capacity building to attract international industry leaders and investors as well as place Dubai on the global maritime industry map,” he added.
According to him, the local maritime industry is one of the five main contributors to the emirate’s economic diversification policy, with its share of Dubai’s gross domestic product (GDP) now standing at Dh26.9 billion ($7.32 billion).
It has also been achieving an unprecedented growth of over 25 per cent since 2011, helping boost the UAE’s 60 per cent share of the overall maritime activities in the Gulf, said a statement from DMCA.
To date, the country provides a business-friendly environment to more than 5,500 companies and supports at least 13,000 maritime and investment activities, leading to the generation of 76,000 jobs, it added.
Dubai, which has made it to ‘The Leading Maritime Capitals of the World 2017,’ will become the first in the Middle East and 5th in the world’s most competitive and attractive maritime clusters, as per the report of Menon Business Economics Group.
The report ranked it 5th on its Competitiveness and Attractiveness Index; 6th in the list of the future leading maritime capitals; and 10th in the world’s largest shipping centers for 2017. The latest results confirm Dubai’s competitive advantages and significant progress in its vision to be among the world’s top maritime centres.
Amer Ali, executive director of DMCA, reiterated the Authority’s commitment to continuously strengthen Dubai’s international status as one of the world’s best maritime clusters, while underscoring its unwavering determination to promote the best-in-class components of the local industry, one of the most attractive business environments for maritime business.
The DMCA, he stated, will continuously enhance the industry’s infrastructure, legislation, and maritime and logistics capabilities according to the objectives of MSS and in line with the global standards.
"We will capitalise on the promising opportunities to help drive Dubai’s excellence, competitiveness, and attractiveness; improve maritime services; enhance legal expertise; and strengthen the maritime insurance and finance – taking into account our position as a true partner and an active participant in the development process," he added. – TradeArabia News Service