Abu Dhabi Ports hosts the 2nd Maritime Standard Ship Finance and Trade Conference in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi-UAE: November 18, 2016 

Abu Dhabi Ports hosted the second edition of The Maritime Standard Ship Finance and Trade Conference in Abu Dhabi this week, which featured engaging discussions aiming to chart a course for the future of the shipping and maritime sectors.

The event brought together high profile executives and industry professionals from local, regional and international markets including H.E. Dr. Abdullah Salem Al Katheeri, Director General, Federal Transport Authority- Land and Maritime, who delivered the Keynote address, and H.E. Sheikh Talal Al Khaled Al Sabah, Chairman of Kuwait Oil Tanker Company.

CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports, Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, commented: “Our participation and hosting of the Maritime Standard Ship Finance and Trade Conference in Abu Dhabi for the second consecutive year is testament to our commitment to finding solutions for sustained growth and development. We are confident this event has served as a platform that connects key players and decision makers together and creates rewarding opportunities.”

Conference chairman, Clive Woodbridge, editor of The Maritime Standard, said, “The Conference took place at an interesting moment in time, when there is considerable uncertainty in the market about both economic and political trends worldwide. The old order is changing and that made this event so relevant. It was a perfect chance to begin discussions about how the shipping and finance sectors respond to these trends.”

Trevor Pereira, managing director of The Maritime Standard, said: “This was a really unique event that brought together some of the most original thinkers and strategists from across the maritime sector under one roof. We successfully built on the success of the inaugural conference last year and I am sure everyone who attended went back to their day jobs with fresh ideas and enthusiasm to tackle the challenges that lie before them.”

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The first Session covered the changing global economic environment, assessing the main challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Once again the conference heard from some leading personalities with many years of experience, including Ali Shehab, deputy chief executive of the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company; Khamis Juma Buamim, managing director and group chief executive of Gulf Navigation; Eng. Yasser Zaghloul, chief executive of National Marine Dredging Company; Eng. Rashed Al Hebsi, chief executive of Emirates Classification (TASNEEF) and Andrew Baird of Watson, Farley and Williams.

The conference audience was then treated to an Up Close session with well-known banker and financier Sanjay Mehta, of S One Capital who has over 25 years’ experience in fund management, investment banking and structuring mergers and acquisitions. Sanjay Mehta gave some intriguing insights into his vision of how shipping and trade will evolve over the coming years, including an optimistic assessment of the product tanker market.

The afternoon sessions looking at developing strategies, and the right financial tools to meet the needs of challenging market condition, were also wide ranging and stimulating. There was plenty of discussion, triggered by excellent presentations from eminent speakers from the fields of ports, shipping, ship management, law, banking and finance. There was a general consensus that the banking and finance sectors need to work closely together to further boost the maritime sector.

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About Abu Dhabi Ports
Established in 2006, Abu Dhabi Ports celebrates ten years of innovation, growth and partnership embarking on another decade of facilitating economic diversification through enabling maritime and trade development. This is done by delivering high quality maritime services, supporting partners’ infrastructure projects and setting up new companies and joint ventures in the ports and logistics sectors.

The flagship state-of-the-art Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) play a pivotal role in the diversification of the economy.  Khalifa Port was inaugurated on 12/12/12 by the UAE President H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The port’s semi-automated container terminal handles all of Abu Dhabi’s container traffic, after its transfer from Zayed Port, the historic port in the city centre.

Khalifa Port’s current capacity is 2.5 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units/containers) and 12 million tonnes of general cargo. Further phases of development will occur as market demand requires. When all phases are complete, Khalifa Port will be able to handle 15 million TEUs and 35 million tonnes of general cargo per year.

Abu Dhabi Ports manages ten commercial, logistics, community and leisure ports, and Khalifa Industrial Zone that is serving a range of logistics and manufacturing investors. Abu Dhabi Ports is boosting Abu Dhabi’s economic growth and diversification, in line with the Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision. 

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© Press Release 2016