Breakbulk Middle East Digital Special concludes with insightful discussions on the role of women and the youth

UAE Dubai

Sallam Sallam

Breakbulk Middle East (BBME), the GCC’s leading breakbulk and project cargo event, held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, successfully wrapped up its Digital Special today in the midst of high-level officials, professionals from the breakbulk and project cargo industry and aspiring professionals. The live-in person event is scheduled to be held on February 1-2, 2022.

Day two of the event featured two critical sessions Women in Breakbulk Leadership Forum and Education Day. The event has endorsed both these causes since quite some time as they are crucial for the growth of the industry. Leveraging the success of 2020’s Women in Breakbulk networking session, the Women’s Forum brought together women thought leaders from different sectors in the industry, who shared their success stories. Through the Education Day session, the Digital Special enlightened students about the opportunities awaiting them.

As part of the Advisory Board Leadership Forums, two elite roundtables led by regional executives were also held. The roundtables focused on relationship building with regional project owners, the energy transition in the industry and how the industry is adapting to a changing cargo base.

Creating a diverse workforce

Over the years, Breakbulk Middle East has demonstrated great support to achieve gender equality within the industry. The Women’s Forum highlighted the need to bridge the gender gap through two sessions – The Many Paths to Female Leadership: A Career Blueprint and How Women Are Contributing to a Post-COVID Business Recovery. Both sessions stressed on the career trajectories of women leaders, their strategies to cope with the pandemic and enhance the growth of their companies.

H.R.H. Princess Sarah Al Saud, Director of Maritime Business Development at the International Forum for Maritime Transport, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Alexandria explained, “The world today has become progressive. People’s minds are opening up to the fact that women have the power to transform. According to Grant Thorton’s Women in Business 2020 report, 87 per cent of global mid-market companies have at least one woman in a senior management role in 2020. This figure is proof of the changing world. Even though women make up a minuscule percentage of the industry’s workforce, those who are in it are making a difference. Their unique innate abilities make them an asset for companies and the industry at large. To help more women be a part of the industry, spreading awareness is integral and BBME is doing a great job at inspiring young women.”

Leslie Meredith, Marketing Director, Breakbulk Events & Media said, “It was truly an honour and pleasure to moderate the two Women’s Forum sessions that had outstanding women who have made a mark for themselves in the industry. Our Women in Breakbulk session received much acclaim and we are happy to see the fantastic response that the Digital Special has received. Through this endeavour, we are confident that we will bring about a change in the industry by encouraging more women to be a part of the workforce.”

Shaping young minds

The Education Day session had two key sessions – Why Consider a Career in Project Cargo, Logistics and Maritime and Keys to Success: Insights from Across the Supply Chain that informed and inspired students to be a part of the industry.

Dr. Ismail Abdelghafar Ismail Farag, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport said, “The breakbulk and project cargo industry in the Middle East has been a key sector that contributes to the growth of economies in the region. To ensure that we continue this momentum, we must train the younger generation to be competent professionals. At the Academy, we are putting in all our efforts to ensure that our students gain the required skills to have successful careers. BBME’s Education Day has helped our students greatly to understand the functioning of the industry and gain career advice from experts.”

Ben Blamire, Event Director, Breakbulk Middle East said, “We are thrilled with the response we have received over the two days of the Digital Special. This has inspired us to strive hard to ensure that our next in-person event scheduled for 2022 is even bigger. We are glad that our platform has helped key decision-makers and students gain valuable industry insights. We hope the Digital Special has piqued the interest of industry professionals, providing them with a knowledge-rich experience that will help their companies to evolve and promote the growth of the local and regional industry.”

Breakbulk recently launched the Breakbulk365 program that includes engaging webinars and the BreakbulkONE Show to ensure the project cargo industry stays connected and updated on insights and regional information at all times. To receive the weekly BreakbulkONE newsletter, sign up at http://breakbulk.com/page/one.