Strong showing from Pakistan shipping industry at Seatrade Middle East Maritime

The event has attracted some of the leading players in the Pakistani maritime industry, says Sales Director Andrew Callaghan, who has just returned from the inaugural International Shipping & Ports Conference in Karachi.

Top speakers from Pakistan at Seatrade Middle East Maritime will include Vice Admiral Ahmad Hayat, Chairman of the Karachi Port Trust and Farouq H. Rahimtoola, Chairman of the Pakistan Ship Agents Association.

Callaghan said, 'My visit to Karachi confirms the strong support for the event at the highest levels. The Export Promotion Bureau of Pakistan and the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry are the latest to pledge their support. Karachi Port Trust will be participating and expects to be joined by more than 30 shipping related companies and organisations. Pakistan is well located to benefit from the increase in trade to the region with a number of new developments in its ports underway.'

He added, 'Coming together with its neighbouring countries at Seatrade Middle East Maritime is seen as a vital mean's of promoting Pakistan's role in world shipping.'

Seatrade Middle East Maritime, a three-day exhibition and series of conferences, will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from December 6-8. The show has, to date, attracted exhibitors from 19 countries and national pavilions from Turkey and Iran as well as Pakistan. The organisers say the show is set to triple in size on 2003.

'We have organised a series of roadshows to West and Central Asia and the support is tremendous,' said Chris Hayman, Managing Director, Seatrade. 'With six months to go before the event, over 75% of the exhibition space has already been contracted or reserved.'

This year's event will have four distinct conference streams - General Shipping, the first Dubai Commodities Conference (organised in association with Dubai Metals & Commodities Centre), the fourth Seatrade Middle East Cruise Conference and a one-day conference on the expanding SuperYacht market in the region.

Seatrade Middle East Maritime is being held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister. The event is sponsored by Dubai Maritime City, Dubai Ports Authority, Government of Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing, and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).

Other sponsors include Aalborg Industries A/S (Dubai branch), Aqua Group, British Airways, Castrol Marine, Clyde & Co, Dubai Metals & Commodities Centre, HSBC, Instone International, Lloyd's Register, Maritime London, Net Cruises, Nico International, Norton Rose, Scan-Trans Chartering LLC, and Sharaf Shipping Agency LLC.

Supporters of the event include Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dubai Shipping Agents Association, National Association of Freight Logistics, Indian National Shipowners' Association, the Nautical Institute UAE Branch, and UAE National Ship Suppliers' Association.