THREE-DAY GULF MARITIME FAIR OPENS AT EXPO CENTRE SHARJAH
RAK INSTITUTE HOLDS GRADUATION CEREMONY OF DECK CADETS AT GULF MARITIME
SHARJAH
Curtains went up on the seventh edition of Gulf Maritime at Expo Centre Sharjah today (December 14).
It was opened by Engineer Sultan Abdullah Al Mualla ,Director General,Sharjah Municipality.
Present at the inauguration ceremony were Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah, and Mr Fasahat Ali Khan, Adviser to the Chairman and Board of Directors of Expo Centre Sharjah, among other dignitaries.
The three-day exhibition, held under the patronage of Sharjah Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, will run until December 16.
Gulf Maritime also hosted the passing out ceremony of the VIIIth Batch of Deck Cadets of Birla Institute of Technology International Center for Maritime Studies and Ship Management who have completed their training on RAK Training Ship Sindbad.
“Gulf Maritime, through its past seven successful editions, has cemented its reputation as the region’s most comprehensive maritime event. It is known among the industry circles as the foremost maritime event and caters to the complete requirements of the industry,” said Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa.
The exhibition is featuring more than 100 brands and exhibitors, who are showcasing their products and equipment across 4,000 square metres of space. Exhibitors have come from more 20 countries such as Bahrain, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the UAE, the UK, Ukraine and the US.
“Gulf Maritime is capable of meeting the complete sourcing requirements of the commercial, government, leisure and maritime industry in the Middle East,” said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.
“As in the previous years, the exhibition is featuring high-quality products such as deck machinery and other vessel equipment, docking equipment, electronics, communication and navigation systems, engine and propulsion systems, fuel and lubricants, ride control systems, sound and vibration control systems and marine interiors,” said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.
Other major exhibits include paints and coatings, latest vessel building designs and technology, equipment for fishing, offshore support vessels, cargo ships, tankers, tugs, ferries and patrol boats, ship repair and port operations products and cargo handling services, among others. The exhibition will have a dedicated display area for workboats and commercial craft.
“The regional maritime sector, through its strong and diversified operations, has been successful in braving the global slowdown and is poised to ride the wave of recovery that is sweeping across the Middle East,” said Mr Fasahat Ali Khan.
“This rebound in regional economies is spurring shipping activity, reclamation and waterfront constructions, more import and export, new build orders, dry and wet repairs and conversion of single-hulls,” said Mr Khan.
“Sea-air cargo, where cargo is brought by sea and re-exported from here by air, is also gaining importance, and the UAE being strategically located is a key player in this development,” said Mr Khan.
Sharjah is leading the revival of prospects for the regional maritime industry, with its recent announcement that it is planning to build a dry dock. It is also planning a new free zone at Al Sajaah area, which will be operational in two years.
Sharjah is also preparing a plan, to be ready by 2010, to revamp Port Khalid and to develop it thoroughly. It is also planning to develop the port of Kalba and to set up a fishing port in Khor Fakkan.
More than 4.5 million TEU (20-foot equivalent units) of new capacity is expected to be added in the region through the ongoing expansion of container terminals and creation of new ones.
Major regional developments include the upcoming dry dock and ship repair facility at Duqm in Oman, port at Ras Al Zour in Saudi Arabia, the port and industrial zone in Taweelah in Abu Dhabi, a port in Qatar and the expansion at the Sokhna Port in Egypt. These projects will go a long way in promoting the region as the world’s maritime hub.
The Middle East currently forms between 15 and 20 per cent of the global workboats market, with most of the vessels operating in the oil and gas sector. However, the region is believed to have the highest demand for workboats in the world for both infrastructure development and exploration activities.
The GCC was last year believed to be investing to a tune of $60 billion in a number of offshore oil and gas exploration projects in the next three to four years and a further $20bn in offshore infrastructure schemes.
Most shipbuilding yards in the region have been focusing on building and repairing workboats to satisfy the demand generated by these huge investments.
According to industry observers, more than 2,000 workboats, from tugs to dive boats to dredgers, are docked or repaired in the Middle East annually. There are currently 13 ship repair yards in the region sustaining five dry docks, eight floating docks and 17 slipways.
Dubai Maritime City, the world’s first purpose-built maritime centre, Dubai Logistics City, which is poised to see freight volumes passing through Dubai increase to 12 million tonnes from the present 1.5 million tonnes a year, and the upcoming International Logistics City in Sharjah will also support the region’s maritime operators triggering huge demand for repair services for large vessels and feeders plying the region.
Gulf Maritime 2009 is featuring a seminar, which will take up several issues concerning the safety of workboats. The seminar -- Improving Safety on Workboats -- to be conducted by Emirates International Maritime Academy, will be of prime importance in view of the region becoming a key supply base for workboats.
The show will be open to traders from 10am to 6pm on all three days.
Gulf Maritime is an initiative of Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. |
