Voluntary shipowner initiative on environmental protection proposed for UAE

According to Dimitris Mitsatsos, such an organisation, UAEMEPA, would boost the Middle East maritime sector in its pursuit of success.

"UAEMEPA would serve the issue of marine environment protection and create global awareness of the shipping industry in the UAE and the wider Gulf region," he said.

"Such an industry initiative should become a voluntary self-regulating mechanism like HELMEPA which has been growing for over two decades", he added.

Mitsatsos, who has in the past represented the Association of Greek Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing industries for the European Commission and AWES, was speaking ahead of his planned address at Middle East Money & Ships - the region's conference for maritime financiers, insurers, lawyers, banks and investors, being held at Grand Hyatt Dubai from December 12-13, organised by international maritime organisation, Seatrade.

Mitsatsos is among a powerful Middle East Money & Ships speaker line-up. At the two-day event, he will be joined on the speaker platform by Nikolaos Pappadakis, Chairman of Intercargo; Nicholas Tsakos, President & CEO, Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd and Chairman, HELMEPA; Colin Cridland, Head of Research at Braemar Seascope; Robert Curt, Managing Director, Qatar Gas Transport Co.Ltd; Richard Briggs, Partner, Hadef Al Dhahiri & Associates; Bote De Vries, Head of Investment Management, DVB Bank ; Khamis Bu-Amim, Chairman, RECSO; Yusr Sultan, Director, Gulf Energy Maritime PJSC; David Fairnie, Maritime Director, Hart; Peter Grübe, Manager BIMCO Courses; Marcus Machin of Alislami Oceanic Shipping Company Ltd; Dr Salah Malaikah, CEO of SALAMA Islamic Arab Insurance Co; Neil Miller, Head of Islamic Finance Group, Norton Rose; Hugo Modderman, CEO of Dolfinance Monaco and agent for DVB Bank America NV; Andreas Vergottis, Research Director, Oceanic Hedge Fund, Tufton Oceanic Ltd; Javad Mosadeghi, CEO, Islamic P&I Club; Tony Rice, Head of Ship Finance, Denton Wilde Sapte; Mohammed Souri, Chairman, NITC and Dr Adil Sinjakli, Managing Partner, Sinjakli & Associates.

Middle East Money & Ships is timed to coincide with the gala presentation dinner for the second annual Dubai International Maritime Awards (DIMA). The prestigious evening event will be held on December 12 and be attended by the year's top achievers in West and Central Asia.

The conference is sponsored by Det Norske Veritas, Emarat Maritime, International Tanker Management, LMG/Cooper Gray, Lloyd's Register, NITC and NSCSA. The conference is fully endorsed and supported by Dubai Maritime City and DP World.