Significant UAE industry leaders emphasize regional breakbulk importance at recent presser

Dubai UAE

Sallam Sallam

Breakbulk Middle East, the GCC’s leading breakbulk and project cargo sector event, held a press conference today in anticipation of the event’s fast approaching 4th annual edition. This year’s two-day conference and exhibition will be held under the patronage of H.E Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and the Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority for Land and Maritime and has received the support of multiple leading industry maritime entities. The exhibition which is set to take place on the 11th and 12th of February at the Dubai World Trade Centre, in Dubai, UAE, will act as bridge to unite a multitude of sectors and generate educated discussions surrounding existing challenges, as well as opportunistic solutions for the local, regional and global markets
As a new decade approaches, initiatives such as UAE Vision 2021 and Saudi Vision 2030 are quickly nearing and as a result becoming increasingly prominent. The UAE and GCC maritime sectors have witnessed unprecedented growth in recent years and much of the success is directly correlated to events that have helped bolster local and regional reputation. Top-level experts are aware of the significance of these gatherings as they allow for discovery of enhancement and opportunity as it pertains to business. Hence, a major reason why this year’s Breakbulk Middle East has received an unwavering backing from renowned individuals.
Speaking on the necessity of the event, H.E Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and the Chairman of Federal Transport Authority for Land and Maritime commented, “As Expo 2020 and UAE Vision 2021 are within reaching distance, our involvement in Breakbulk Middle East was a no-brainer. Though the event’s history has been fairly brief, it has slowly built a strong credibility in regards to unifying key industrial sectors. The timing and location of this year’s event is ideal as it presents an opportunity for discussions to take place which can potentially spot and improve any lingering issues revolving around the well-being and development of local and regional infrastructure. Furthermore, we are optimistic of the post-event results carrying positive momentum moving into the remainder of the year and even further onwards”
H.E Eng. Hessa Al Malek, Executive Director of the Maritime Transport at the Federal Transport Authority for Land and Maritime added, “Dubai’s recent achievement of being named one of the top five maritime hubs in the International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCD) is a remarkable accomplishment which we have worked tirelessly in collaboration with government and private sectors to obtain. Breakbulk Middle East 2019 is hosts top-level executives who share infinite knowledge, and we aim to leverage our learnings in the hopes of continuing to excel and soon after catching or even passing more established hubs such as Singapore, Hong Kong, London and Shanghai”
The UAE’s fastest growing ports
Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO & Managing Director , DP World, UAE Region, said,
“Breakbulk Middle East is an event that underscores the importance of Dubai’s vital role in today’s global supply chain, and as a major destination for the breakbulk cargo and specialized logistics solutions providers. With Expo 2020 around the corner and with the growing cruise tourism sector, there are numerous opportunities to be found here for breakbulk players. Breakbulk is a vital part of Dubai’s economy, covering a large segment of non-containerized cargo such as steel rebar, bagged cement, and drummed cargo, which are used by key industries such as building and construction. DP World has already laid the groundwork to ensure Jebel Ali Port is capable of handling the increased throughput as we near Expo 2020 in accordance with our role as a Premiere Global Trade Partner, and through our Parks and Zones like Jebel Ali Free Zone, we have the necessary support services and solutions in place to help new players quickly establish their businesses and focus exclusively on growth”
Advancing the regional breakbulk sector
Slated to moderate the “Diversifying for the Future: Clean and Renewable Energy in the Middle East” panel at the 4th edition is Mohammad Jaber, COO Abu Dhabi, PJSC and Regional Director – PL, MEA, Agility, who clarified, “Project cargo plays an important role in supporting the growth of the logistics sector in the region and is often a Major catalyst for the development of additional infrastructure. We speak from experience, with a strong track record of providing logistics support that includes heavy-lift and out-of-gauge cargo moves for capital projects, oil and gas projects, and marine services. Breakbulk Middle East’s efforts to promote the importance of project cargo are commendable and crucial to better connecting and developing the entire value chain both for the region and locally”
Leslie Meredith, Marketing Director, Breakbulk Events & Media, said, “The UAE’s understanding of the importance of maritime transport has been a key factor of the country’s rapid success. As a result, it has become home to more than 20 of the world’s leading ports, including several of the world’s top 10 ports and is responsible for 15 million TEUs a year. Despite these impressive accolades, it is our aim to utilize Breakbulk Middle East as a tool to carry on their momentum and ensure stagnation and complacency are avoided”
Ben Blamire, the event’s Commercial Director, further highlighted the event’s importance and stated, “We understand and admire the UAE’s commitment to complying with the International Maritime Organization’s regulations. After successfully securing candidacy for B-category elections to the IMO council, it’s our goal to have Breakbulk Middle East serve as an assist to continue their upward global trajectory by rightfully maintaining their current position or preferably elevating their status to A-category”
Last year’s successful event witnessed the participation of over 1800 attendees and this year’s edition is projected to slate over 2000. Over 52 countries were among representation involved in the Abu Dhabi edition of the conference in 2018, many of which included exhibitors, shippers, freight forwarders, cargo owners, and port and terminal operators. This year’s edition is poised to surpass these figures at a record rate with a large part due to the involvement of such prestigious authorities