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Dubai receives boost as a global maritime centre

Dubai receives boost as a global maritime centre
It has been a busy Nor-Shipping for Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the independent government body tasked with developing, monitoring and promoting maritime activity in the Emirate.

On the opening day - when its stand was honoured with a royal visit by King Harold V of Norway (pictured) - DMCA announced creation of a new Maritime Advisory Council back in Dubai.

The move forms part of a wider Maritime Sector Strategy to encourage clustering of marine-related firms in order to help the Emirate build on its traditional role as a crossroads of world trade and become a leading global maritime centre.

The new council will act as “a platform for all the shipping industry (in Dubai) to come and talk to us about best practice and what their needs are,” DMCA director of communications Nawfal Al Jourani told Seatrade Maritime News. “It’s a think-tank to help create solutions for the industry that are sustainable, creative and competitive – three key words in our philosophy.’

Dubai’s maritime cluster already contributed close to AED14.4bn ($3.9bn) or 4.6% of Dubai’s GDP last year, he added, showing that the strategy was working.

Further proof of Dubai’s progress came with publication at Nor-Shipping of a new report on ‘Leading Maritime Capitals of the World’ by consultants Memon Business Economics. That study, an update of an initial report three years ago, included Dubai for the first time as 13th most important global maritime centre.

The study also included a poll of around 1,600 industry representatives who were asked to predict the same ranking in five years’ time, where Dubai placed seventh, ahead of many long-established global hubs such as London, New York, Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Rio de Janeiro, amongst others.

HE Sultan Bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and president of DMCA, commented: “We are proud of both the progress Dubai has made so far in terms of its development as a maritime centre of excellence, and the huge potential the industry has recognised for our future.

“As the results of the report show, we are particularly adept at providing world-class port and logistics services, and will continue to further reinforce our capabilities and resources in this area. We will also aim for excellence in other key indicators such as shipping services, maritime legal expertise, maritime insurance, and competitiveness and attractiveness.”