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This year’s Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine Technology (SMM) exhibition in Hamburg, held between September 8th and 12th, was the biggest, and busiest, for many years. ‘Brand Dubai’ was there in force, creating a very high profile presence at the shipping industry’s leading event.
SMM was used by the DCMMI group, led by Chairman HE Khamis Juma Buamim, to press home to an international audience the value of Dubai’s maritime ‘cluster’. He said:” We have been able to present the Dubai brand name more effectively and I am confident that still more companies from Dubai’s maritime sector will be present at SMM in 2016.”
Khamis Buamim is clearly pleased with the progress made through DCMMI to date. ”The Council has already made a big impact, building a platform from which we can go to government authorities to create the conditions necessary for stable growth for the industry in the future,” he observed.
H.E. Khamis Buamim also stressed the importance of the SMM event to Drydocks World Dubai, as it adopts a strategy of diversification into offshore and sustainable energy markets, alongside traditional ship repair activities. “Germany is a key center for the wind power industry, as demonstrated by our successful completion of the Dol Win Beta project for operation in the German sector of the North Sea recently. It is a critical part of our business plan to be more active in the oil, gas and renewables sectors, utilizing the yard’s fabrication capabilities, and SMM has given us the chance to get that message across,” he said.
Significantly, both the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Dubai Council for Marine and Maritime Industries (DCMMI) took part for the first time.The Dubai Chamber delegation comprised of over 25 Dubai-based business leaders and company officials from the maritime sector, and was led by HE Hisham Al Shirawi. According to Al Shirawi, ‘‘The main purpose behind the trade mission was to help Dubai companies build bridges of cooperation with international maritime business leaders and to help establish contacts in shipbuilding, machinery and marine technology, while also promoting Dubai’s maritime industry and its strategic location to a global audience.’’ Another important objective of the trade mission was to strengthen Dubai’s image as a key maritime hub and business destination, to support the overseas expansion of UAE companies, and to gain insight into recent trends impacting the marine industries, he said.
In recent years Drydocks World’s relations with Germany, and the EU in general, have strengthened, with 39% of vessels handled at Drydocks World Dubai belonging to European customers, and German owners making up 18% of the total. Drydocks World has long-term agreements with several European owners and operators, such as AP Moller Maersk, BP Shipping, Euronav Ship Management, Berhard Schulte and NSC Schiffahatsgesellshaft and is looking to build further on these relationships.
The TMS Awards were singled out by Khamis Buamim as an initiative that will have a positive impact on the development of the maritime cluster in Dubai.” This event is important as it will bring together people from across the industry to meet and have dialogue with each other. Our region requires such collaboration and will create opportunities for companies to work together more.” He added,”I believe the Awards will be a catalyst to get the maritime industry in the region to change its terms of reference.”
Participating companies in the trade mission included Drydocks World, DNV GL, Mubarak Marine, Jumbo Line Shipping Agency, Tasneef, Aries Group, Dubai Trading Agency, Elcome International, Nor Crane & Winch DMCCO and Fichte & Co. The Maritime Standard (TMS) was also present within the Dubai Chamber delegation to promote the new TMS Awards and the TMS e-newsletter.
