Maritime geopolitics; sustainability; trade disruption, tariffs and AI will all be under the spotlight during the coming UAE Maritime Week, which features the flagship conference and exhibition, Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East.
Several thousand international and regional shipping experts will take part in the week which is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure; organised by Seatrade Maritime and supported by strategic partner, DP World.
In its 11th edition, Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East takes place from 6-8th May in the Za’abeel Halls 5&6 at Dubai World Trade Centre. For the first time, the conference agenda features 3 stages and multiple conference sessions. Again, in a first for the event, it is working with 15 supporting organisations from the industry who are lending their industry expertise in the form of curated content.
The fifteen official Supporting Organisations include: Abu Dhabi Maritime Hub; Dubai Shipping Agents Association (DSAA); Emirates Shipping Association (ESA); Emirates Maritime Legal Association (EMLA); International Bunkering Association (IBIA); ICS Middle East; IMarEST UAE; IMPA Save; The Ship Suppliers Association Dubai (ISSA); Mission to Seafarers; National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL); The Nautical Institute; UAE Blue Pass; UAE Harbour Masters Association; and WISTA UAE.
Between them, they will be hosting a carefully curated mix of thought leadership conference sessions, panel discussions and in-depth technical workshops fronted by members and covering all aspects of maritime. This includes digitalisation, energy transition, sustainability, engine room operations, bunkering and alternative fuels, port safety, workforce diversity, ship finance and freight rates, innovation in trading and seafarer welfare.
In other sessions, managed by the Seatrade Maritime content team, there will be a dedicated session from Shanghai International Shipping Center & North Bund Forum; several deep-dive focus forums from DP World and a return of the popular Big Debate. In this parliamentary style debate, industry specialists present their ‘for’ and ‘against’ arguments for the motion: ‘This house believes that the integration of AI in the maritime industry poses a greater threat to safety and ethical standards than it offers in operational efficiency’. Some feisty exchanges in front of the audience are expected before attendees get their say and the final vote is announced at the end of the session.
Taking the Main Stage on Day 2 is global maritime futurist, K D Adamson. Known as a sharp, funny and straight-talking renegade she is a writer, commentator, presenter, and top keynote speaker loved by audiences the world over who have compared her inspirational performances to both a TED talk on steroids, and a Tarantino movie where no one died! Other highlights include an Offshore Outlook Focus; The Vital Role of Digitalisation at Sea; The Significance of Seafarer Training for New Alternative Fuels and The Need for Industry-wide Training Overhaul.
Also on Day 2 is a ceremony to celebrate the announcement of the Seatrade Maritime News 20under40 finalists.The culmination of an initiative to find global leaders of the future aged under 40, this campaign has garnered huge interest and several hundred entries for the judging panel to discuss.
Day 3 brings the Nautical Institute’s global conference and AGM to Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East for the first time, and dedicated sessions from Abu Dhabi Maritime Hub; DP World and DSAA (Dubai Ship Agents Association). Aside from the 3 content stages, a packed exhibition stretches across Za-abeel Halls 5&6 and include international exhibitors representing the complete maritime supply chain.
According to Chris Morley, Group Director, Seatrade Maritime, part of Informa Markets: “Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East has been a firm fixture on the maritime calendar over the past 20 years in the UAE and this year is once again the central maritime meeting place of UAE Maritime Week. Working closely with our patron, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and a very senior steering committee, we are confident that this edition will continue to amplify the UAE’s place on the global maritime cluster map.”
The UAE Maritime Week takes place from Monday 5th May until Friday 9th May. Highlights include: Seatrade Maritime Club Round Table; IBIA workshop and dinner; Nautical Institute dinner and rounding off the week, a tour hosted by Gulftainer at Khorfakkan Container Port.
