Global maritime industry to converge in Doha for Ship & Port 2007

Being organised under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, Minister of State, Government of Qatar, the three-day maritime industry event, which will feature some of the biggest names of the global maritime industry, is scheduled to take place from March 18, 2007 to March 20, 2007 at the Qatar International Exhibition Centre in the country's capital city.

Announcing the mega event, Mr. Satish Khanna, General Manager, Al Fajer Information & Services, the organisers of Ship & Port, said: 'The event will offer an excellent opportunity to foster the growth of shipping and logistics industry of the country, where major multi-billion dollar maritime projects are already under way.'

It is for the first time that Qatar will host a maritime industry event of the magnitude of Ship & Port.

Explaining Al Fajer's decision to choose Doha to host the second edition of Ship & Port, Mr. Satish Khanna said: 'Qatar is now a major player in the global maritime industry, not just of the region. The country is set to become the world's largest liquefied natural gas producer. Ras Laffan Industrial City, situated on the north-east coast of the country, has grown to be a thriving energy related industrial base in a very short time. The energy produced here will have to be transported in specially strengthened ships to users spread across the globe. This demand has lead to global maritime industry players flocking to Qatar. We believe Ship & Port Qatar will provide the right impetus to the development of the country's maritime and logistics industry.'

He further said: 'Ship & Port Qatar will feature the region's leading port authorities and industry stake holders, and will provide an excellent platform to showcase the latest in technology, products and services, as well as offer unrivalled networking opportunities for the professionals in the industry. The event will help trade and technology seekers to network with the entire spectrum of the maritime industries suppliers from all over the world.'

Ship & Port Qatar is expected to offer a platform to strike lucrative new deals and encounter many promising opportunities and solutions to the operational and commercial challenges that the maritime industry professionals face. The show will attract a whole gamut of visitors including ship owners, equipment suppliers and professionals belonging to the industry. Leading officials from the region's marine fishing industry, shipyards, harbours and port authorities, shipping and trading firms are also expected to attend.

Talking about the opportunities that the event would bring to the region's shipping industry, a spokesperson of Qatar Navigation, a co-sponsor of Ship & Port Qatar, said: 'Ship & Port Qatar will be an ideal platform for the region's maritime industry to compare and benchmark against global players and their practices. There is a certain need to create more effective channels to standardise safety standards in shipping among countries of the region. This event will provide an opportunity to evaluate the need.'

The tentative list of exhibitors include Conapro DENA BMS/SIMRAD, VOITH (Saudi Arabia/Qatar), Guven - Grab & Machine (Turkey), Hygrpha (Germany), Informa Asia Publishing Limited (Hong Kong), IRSHAD (UAE), Lloyds Register Fairplay (UK), Marine Services Co (Qatar), Micad Marine (USA), Pacific Technology (UAE), Penguin Boats (Singapore), Qatar Navigation (Qatar), Qatar Port Authority (Qatar), Radio Holland Middle East (UAE), Reintjes Middle East (UAE), Rich Creation International Limited (Hong Kong), Tech HANDOK (South Korea), Wartsila Gulf (UAE) and Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems GmbH (Germany).

The Qatar Port Authority is the principal sponsor of Ship & Port Qatar. The event is co-sponsored by Qatar Navigation. While Qatar Airways is the official carrier of the three-day event, Lloyds Register Fairplay, United Kingdom, is the official media partner. Other industry supporters of the event include Conapro Dena BMS, Qatar, Dubai Shipping Agents Association and Radio Holland.

The international publications who have pledged support to Ship & Port Qatar include Dredging & Port Construction, Fairplay, Lloyds List, Lloyds Ship Manager, Safety at SEA, Solutions and The Link.