(From left) Ben Blamire, Julian Skyrme, Capt. Jaber Al Shehhi, Shehab Mohamad Al Jasmi, and Yasser Al Yassin at the Wednesday press conference in Dubai. Kamal Kassim / Gulf Today

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

An estimated 8,000 participants, up from the 6,496 recorded in 2023 shall be in Dubai for the eighth year of the “BreakBulk Middle East 2024” at the Dubai World Trade Center on February 12 and 13, as the world reels from a multiplicity of inter-connected problems that have impacted maritime and shipping lanes – and there is no other way but to press forward.

Once again under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI), the gathering which also has its Europe and Americas counterparts, shall have women industry experts and students in attendance for the continuing evolution of the necessary human resources.

This, as according to the organisers, the breakbulk sector services the general public as this is a “special niche” in the cargo and maritime industry, taking into consideration that the ferried goods from one regional port to elsewhere are bulky, enormous or over-sized like the roll-on/roll-off vehicles and the supplies and equipment for infrastructure development and other forms of construction such as for the Etihad Railways. 

The panelists were MOEI-Inspection & Control director Capt. Jaber Al Shehhi, DP World GCC-Ports & Terminals Commercial Department senior vice president Shehab Mohamed AlJasmi, Abu Dhabi Ports Group-Ports Cluster Commercial acting vice-president Julian Skyrme, BBME Event director Ben Blamire, and DSV Air and Sea Middle East DWC-Projects Middle East and North Africa regional director Yasser Al Yassin. 

From the introductory statements, MOEI-Inspection & Control director Capt. Jaber Al Shehhi mentioned that according to international records and for the entire 2023, the special niche segment had demonstrated a growth of up to 60 per cent from 40 per cent.

Relating it to the local front, he said: “When we look at what the world has been through in the past three years, it is safe to say that we, as an industry, and as a nation have done tremendously well to survive and grow despite the challenges. While the ports across the globe suffered from congestion, our ports showcased their excellent capabilities by handling huge amounts of cargo to keep trade through the country and the region flowing (utilising advancing science and technology such as Internet of Things, blockchain, renewable energy, among others). This enabled the industry in the UAE to generate over Dhs129 billion, a value that none of us could have imagined considering the difficulties that surrounded us.”

Al Shehhi also said: “Our ports are expected to remain as the largest market with the increasing demand due to growing population, economic expansion, urbanisation, the mega-projects, and industrialisation.”

His confidence was based as well on the most recent data that Dubai had been ranked among the top five global maritime centres on the “2023 International Shipping Centre Development Index for the fourth consecutive year.”

Moreover, Dubai, according to the Baltic Exchange Trade & Shipping and the China Economic Information Service-Xinhua Agency is the maritime hub leader in the 24-country Arab World.

Al Yassir related the DSV experience: “If it not for the infrastructure that the UAE provides, it would be impossible for those mega-projects evolving and growing. We have seen all types of cargo, multi-purpose, containerized, name it. We have the infrastructure that help us successfully deliver to clients.”

On the Gulf Today question on their five-year-plan that shall propel the industry, consisting of freight forwarders, information-communications-technology, and port systems, among others,  to greater heights, Abu Dhabi Ports’ Skyrme said: “It is important that we recognise that in an industry, there is room for growth and improvement. We are now taking our capability internationally and grow our success story elsewhere. That needs capacity, investments, and embracing technology, ensuring that the entire ecosystem is improved. More importantly, we also need to change, to adapt to the times.”

BBME 2024’s Blamire and DP World’s Al Jasmi, on this reporter’s query regarding the significance of the event said providing a space where all stakeholders are able to discuss freely on-the-ground narratives and their solutions, matters a lot.  

Interviewed, non-government organisation National Association of Freight and Logistics president/ICC Custom & Trade Facilitation UAE chairperson Nadia Abdul Aziz said “BBME 2024” shall be a continuing learning education and experience for women, a plus for their own growth in a tough industry.