Dubai showcases maritime strength to the shipping world in Oslo

Dubai Maritime City Authority, the organisation tasked with developing, monitoring and promoting maritime activity in the Emirate, has announced a significant programme of investment in this year’s
Nor-Shipping event, held in Oslo and Lillestrøm, Norway. Alongside exhibiting at Nor-Shipping, DMCA is sponsoring the ‘Offshore Day’ and hosting a banquet in the Norwegian capital for leading names within the global shipping industry.

The activity is designed to showcase Dubai’s strength as a key maritime hub and highlight its further growth ambitions. Key messages will focus on the benefits of Dubai’s fully developed cluster - with specialisms in ports management, ship maintenance and operation, and wider maritime services – and its growing importance to the national economy. Maritime now contributes some 4.6% of Dubai’s total GDP (equivalent to 14.4 billion AED), while more than 75,000 new job opportunities have been created in the sector over the past two years.

“A strong maritime Dubai is good news for the shipping world,” explains His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai Ports, Customs, and Free Zones Corporation, Chairman of DMCA. “We offer a key regional gateway for international traders, supported by modern infrastructure, an excellent business environment and an established framework of regulations and best practices. As we work towards our strategic objective of Dubai Maritime Vision 2030 - which will strengthen the competitive advantages we can offer – we want to further engage the shipping community and cement long-lasting relationships. Nor-Shipping, which attracts around 50,000 high quality international delegates over a week long programme of events, is the ideal platform to showcase Dubai and take a regional success story worldwide.”

DMCA, which was founded in 2007 and is fully supported by the Dubai government, is a driving force behind the Emirate’s emergence as a world-class maritime and logistics cluster. It sees clear economic potential in taking Dubai to Nor-Shipping, a key bi-annual event in the international shipping calendar, as explained by H.E. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem:

“Norway is an important maritime trading partner for Dubai and the UAE, and our participation in Nor-Shipping illustrates the extent to which we value that relationship. It also showcases Dubai’s advantages to key international target audiences, such as leading shipowners, suppliers, service providers and members of the media,” he notes.

His Excellency Sten Anders Berge, The Norwegian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, shares H.E. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem’s opinion about the value of the relationship between the two nations, commenting: “Dubai and Norway are natural maritime partners. Dubai has established a vibrant maritime centre and a key regional hub, while Norway is a leading shipping nation with operations worldwide. By working together our maritime enterprises can support and strengthen one another, while delivering competitive benefits to the industry as a whole.”