Details of Seatrade Middle East Maritime Conference 2004 released

International shipping industry leaders from upwards of 15 countries are to address the Seatrade Middle East Maritime conference, to be held from December 6-8 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Global experts from countries such as Iran, Pakistan, the UK, China, the UAE, India, Thailand, Hong Kong, the USA, Sweden, the Bahamas, Mauritius, Monte Carlo and Monaco are to take the platform at the most powerful shipping industry meet yet seen in the Middle East.

“Speakers will be of the very highest calibre representing the most authoritative and informed voices in the maritime industry,” said Chris Hayman, Managing Director, Seatrade.

“They are coming to Dubai to address key global as well as regional issues and their keenness to attend is a clear indication that the emirate is now increasingly recognized as a global shipping and maritime hub.”

Seatrade Middle East Maritime will feature four distinct conference streams – General Shipping, the first Dubai Commodities Conference, organised in association with Dubai Metals & Commodities Centre, the fourth Seatrade Middle East Cruise Conference and a one-day conference on the expanding Super Yacht market in the region.

“This event is set against a background of considerable growth in the shipping sectors, both internationally and regionally,” said Hayman.

“Last year was a banner year for cargo movements across the Middle East, with Dubai Ports Authority reporting a record 23% growth in container throughput to reach a total of 5.15m TEU, and other ports showing high numbers as well. 

“Seatrade will examine what is driving this growth and what impact factors such as the reconstruction of Iraq have on the pattern and volume of cargoes.”

The Trading Shipping And Ports segment of the conference will also look at port expansion plans in place across the region.

“It will focus on how the pattern of trade movement for the region will play out in the medium term and the intra-regional trade volumes between the Middle East and the Subcontinent as they continue to expand, with major change in prospect for the ports of India and Pakistan,” added Hayman.

Due to address the Trade Shipping and Ports segment are: Ali Ashraf Afkhami, Chairman and Managing Director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL); Vice Admiral Ahmad Hayat, Chairman of Karachi Port Trust; Nick Hubbard, Director of international shipbroker Howe Robinson & Co Ltd; and Shi Zemin, Managing Director of COSCO West Asia, the world’s largest shipping line headquartered in China.

The second day of the General Shipping conference will be devoted to Investing In Shipping and Dry Bulk Cargoes. The Dubai Commodities Conference keynote session will also be held on the second day.

“For Investing in Shipping, the programme will probe whether shipping is an attractive option for regional investors at a time of strong freight markets and abundant liquidity,” said Hayman.

“It will examine the new entrepreneurial spirit in regional shipping, joint ventures, the creation of a maritime services infrastructure for the region, and the role of ship-management.”

‘Investing In Shipping’ speakers include: Dr. Peyman Ghaffari, President & CEO of the Aqua Group Inc.; Captain Jim Hayer, Projects Director – Shipping, Emirates National Oil Company Ltd (ENOC); Marcus Machin, Principal of ArabCapital; and Rhys Thomas, Director of the UK shipping interiors company Tufton Oceanic Ltd.

Speakers scheduled for the first Dubai Commodities Conference include Dr David Rutledge, Executive Director – Commodities, Dubai Metals & Commodities Centre, Brian Perrott, Head of Commodities and Trade Group of leading UK law firm Hill Taylor Dickinson and Dr. James Fry, Managing Director, LMC International.

The Dry Bulk Cargoes session will outline how West and Central Asia fits into the global picture and the forces affecting the scale and nature of demand for dry bulk transport.

Speakers will include Khalid Hashim, Managing Director of Thailand’s Precious Shipping Ltd; BSL Narayan, Group General Manager – Trading & Shipping, Emirates Trading Agency LLC and Director, Bright Shipping Co Ltd; and Farouq H. Rahimtoola, Chairman of Ray Shipping Enterprises Ltd & Asia Marine (Pvt) Ltd, Karachi and Chairman of the Pakistan Ship Agents Association.

The third day of the General Shipping conference will feature Energy Demand & Tanker Transportation, sponsored by British Airways, and Quality In Shipping, Security & The Environment.

“The Energy Demand session is set against a background of strong demand for oil and petroleum products and the acceleration of LNG exports and the burgeoning chemicals trade,” explained Hayman. “It will explore the scale and likely future development of regional investment in energy transportation in the Middle East and Iran, as well as the outlook for ship-repair and new-building in the region.”

The session will feature a keynote address by Yusr H. Sultan, Chief Executive, Shipping, Terminaling and LPG, ENOC and Board Member of Gulf Energy Maritime.

Other session speakers include Harry Theochari, Global Head of Shipping, Norton Rose; Colin Cridland, Head of Research, of the UK broker and marine technical consultancy Braemar Seascope; and M. Karbalaee, President & Vice Chairman of the Board of Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex Co (ISOICO).

The Quality Shipping, Security and The Environment session is organised in association with the UAE branch of the Nautical Institute.

“This session will examine the changing global regulatory framework for shipping companies and ports, looking at safety, quality and the environment and the specific challenges for the region,” said Hayman. “It will also outline the key role of maritime training and education and feature a round-table debate on security and the ISPS Code, five months on.”

Session speakers include Rajaish Bajpaee, President of the International Ship Managers’ Association and President & Group Managing Director of Hong Kong headquartered Eurasia Group of Companies; Duncan McKelvie, Chairman of the Nautical Institute (UAE Branch) and the marine representative in Dubai for NYK Line and Managing Director of Quadrant Marine Consultancy Services. 

Also speaking will be Andrew Winbow, Head, Policy and Planning of the Office of the Secretary General, International Maritime Organization.

The fourth Seatrade Middle East Cruise Conference will run concurrently on December 6 and 7. It will feature four main sessions. A one-day training seminar for cruise and travel retailers in the region and a one-day conference on the Super Yacht market in the Gulf will be held on December 8. 

The opening session of the Cruise Conference will be devoted to unlocking the cruise potential of the Gulf and Indian Ocean.

“The prospects for the development of cruise tourism in the Gulf and Indian Ocean look promising,” said Hayman. “The conference will hear whether the time is right for the development of regional cruise products and, if so, what their defining characteristics should be.”

Other sessions will focus on Cruise Ports & Destinations and Regional Source Markets For Passengers.

Speakers at the Cruise Conference will include Luis Ajamil, President of the USA’s Bermello, Ajamil & Partners Inc; Lennart Ekstedt, Owner of Sweden’s Tillberg Design AB; Emilio Freeman, Senior Vice President, Operations, ResidenSea Ltd; William Gibbons, Director, Passenger Shipping Association; Matz Jenssen, President & CEO of the Mauritius Cruise Line; Joyce Landry, President & CEO of Miami’s Landry & Kling, Inc. meeting planners and John Tercek, Vice President, Commercial & New Business Development, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Speakers addressing the SuperYacht sessions include Nicholas Edmiston, Chairman of Edmiston & Company Limited; and Roberto Giorgi, CEO of marine services provider V Ships.

“The worldwide SuperYacht sector is currently growing at 6% a year and, over the past decade, the global SuperYacht fleet has almost doubled,” said Hayman. 

“Since the fleet has a very low scrap rate, the market for repair and refit is expected to grow at the same rate as the fleet. The conference will look at how this pattern is impacting the SuperYacht market in the Gulf.”

Meanwhile, the Seatrade Middle East Maritime exhibition running alongside the conference is set to triple in size from last year’s event.

“To date we have exhibitors from 19 nations confirmed,” explained Hayman. “Exhibitors are from throughout Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Far East, Subcontinent, North America and North Africa. The exhibitor profile spans shipbuilders to port operators, dry docks to fuel suppliers, shipping agencies and registers, maritime lawyers and consultants and a host of other related suppliers.”