Money and Ships Conference

The last two years have seen a transformation in the way that investors and business leaders in the Middle East view the shipping industry.

The emergence of a strong diversified independent shipowning sector, to match the established expertise of the region's oil company fleets, has made Dubai and the Middle East Gulf one of the most active and vibrant international maritime centres in the world. Dubai now occupies third or fourth position in the world as a ship management centre, and the maritime services sector is expanding rapidly too.

As well as its pivotal role in energy transportation, massive economic growth across the region has driven port and terminal expansion, to handle record volumes of containers and an increasing amount of bulk cargos too.  Shipping and offshore activity has also fuelled a boom in ship repair, conversion, and most recently ship building.

This year's conference programmes at Seatrade Middle East Maritime, now in its fourth edition, will examine the implications of this remarkable upsurge in maritime activity in the Middle East both for the region and for trading partners around the world.  What are the challenges for this region's new and self-confident maritime sector and what role will it play in world shipping?