Fourth edition of Gulf Maritime Exhibition opens at Expo Centre Sharjah

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa - Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Mr. Mohammed Salem Al Mosharrekh - Expo Centre Sharjah Board Member, Mr. Saif Al Midfa - Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, directors of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

The Gulf Maritime exhibition is an annual event, which is held under the patronage of Sharjah Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qassimi. It is organized by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the SCCI.

The current edition of the Gulf Maritime exhibition, the focus of which is on ship building and repairing, is hosting over 150 leading marine companies including from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States.

Displays at the three-day event include Deck machinery and other vessel equipment, Docking equipment, Electronics, Communication and navigation systems, Engine and propulsion systems, Fuel and lubricants, Ride control systems, Sound and vibration control systems, Marine interiors, Paints and coatings, latest vessel building designs and technology, equipment for fishing, Offshore support vessels, cargo ships, tankers, tugs, ferries, and patrol boats, Ship repair and port operations products, and Cargo handling services.

"The UAE in general, and Sharjah in particular, has a long maritime tradition," said Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa after the inauguration ceremony.

"Over the years, the UAE has emerged as a major hub for maritime activities in the region. This to a large extent may be attributed to the strategic geographic location that the country enjoys and also to its world class infrastructure,"

he added.

According to Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, the Gulf Maritime exhibition as an event had played a very significant role in integrating the region's maritime industry.

"Gulf Maritime, besides being the region's longest running maritime event is also an established platform that caters to the complete requirements of the Middle East's commercial, government, and military maritime sectors," said Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa.

The maritime industry of the Middle East, especially that of the Gulf, is currently making waves across the world. The Gulf maritime sector at present generates over USD $ 1 billion worth of business annually.

Within the Gulf, the UAE maritime sector is at the forefront with the country rapidly inching towards becoming a hub for the global shipping sector. The UAE spends over half a billion dollars every year on ship building, repairing and servicing material, and over half of the world's international trading fleet of tankers pass the country's shores once every year.
"The maritime infrastructure as well as the ship building and repairing facilities in the UAE compares with the best in the world," said Mr. Saif Al Midfa.

"Rapid expansion of Gulf economies, high oil prices, increased regional trade, and new opportunities due to the opening of the Iraqi market have led to major upswings in the regional maritime industry, particularly in the ship building and repairing sectors," he added.

"The Gulf Maritime exhibition with its comprehensive and unique exhibit profile will act as a one stop sourcing platform for the region's booming maritime industry," said Mr. Saif Al Midfa.

The maritime industry across the Middle East is currently experiencing major developmental activities. The UAE, however, has taken the lead in this regard.

The world's largest ship repair facility is being planned in Dubai by 2006. Currently, the emirate caters to approximately 400 ships per year. New facilities are being added at the Dubai Maritime City to complement those provided by Dubai Dry Docks.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Ports Authority (SPA) is constantly undertaking development projects at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal (KCT). The terminal will soon be ready with a 400-metre berth expansion and 16 metre alongside wall. The new facility, once commissioned, will boost KCT's available berths by 25% and increase the capacity by 100%. The port's potential throughput will rise to over three million TEUs.
The new facility will also feature four new state of the art ship to shore super post Panamax gantry cranes, bringing the total number of gantries in the port to 14. KCT, due to this up-gradation, will be in a position to handle 8,000 plus TEUs container ships.

Sharjah's Inland Container Depot (ICD) is also undergoing major development work. The depot will eventually accommodate 18,000 TEUs on site.
The Hamriyah Port too is now being developed as a multi-purpose port. With a draft of 15 metres, the port can accommodate some of the largest vessels in the world.

In Umm Al Quwain, a massive USD $3.3 billion (AED12 billion) waterfront community has been planned. Once completed, its marina will have a mooring capacity for 1900 private boats and yachts.

Besides the UAE, there are several other countries in the Middle East including Oman, Qatar and Iran that are experiencing major boom in the maritime sector.

In Oman, two new maritime companies have been launched and the country is making substantial investments in the local maritime industry with the aim of becoming a global energy shipping hub.

Iran, a regional leader in export of liquefied natural gas (LNG), requires 24 to 32 LNG shipping vessels as exporting LNG by ship is considered to be more cost effective than using pipelines.

In Qatar, which is home to the world's third-largest reserves, the Qatar Gas Transport Co (QGTC) plans to boost its fleet of liquefied natural gas carriers to 90 within five years to handle exports. The country will spend more than USD $ 15 billion in the next five years for the purpose.

Taking in to account the rapid development in the regional maritime sector and in order to address important issues concerning it, this year's Gulf Maritime exhibition will feature several product presentations and seminars on the sidelines.

The seminars will focus on building appropriate offshore service vessels for the Gulf in appropriate numbers, economical, convenient, and safe transport alternatives for the UAE, and designing, building, and equipping suitable craft for the Gulf.

The Gulf Maritime Exhibition will be open on April 24 and 26 from 10 am to 6 pm and on April 25 from 10 am to 7 pm for trade visitors only.