The fourth annual The Maritime Standard Ship Finance and Trade Conference will be held at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort on 6th November this year. The Conference last year attracted a high quality audience of around 150 executives and decision makers from across the industry. They assembled to discuss and debate the key issues and trends facing the shipping and ports market in the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent, with a particular focus on financial issues. The audience heard from some of the most well-known personalities in the business, all leaders in their chosen fields, who highlighted the importance of building partnerships to help accelerate investment-led growth within the industry.

Keynote speeches at the event were given by twoprominent, and influential figures within the UAE shipping and ports sectors. A presentation by H.E. Dr. Abdullah Salem Al-Katheeri, Director General, Federal Transport Authority (FTA) – Land & Maritime,was followed by Abdulkareem Al Masabi, Executive Vice President, Ports, Abu Dhabi Ports, who were key supporters of the event.

The main conference session focused on how politico-economic factors are likely to shape future opportunities and challenges for the shipping and ports sectors. The audienceheard fromseveral high profile personalities in the industry including: Abdulla Bin Damithan, Director Commercial, DP World – UAE Region; Khamis Juma Buamim, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive, Gulf Navigation Holdings; Chris Peters, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Ship Investment Company; and Ross Thompson, Acting Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, Ports, Abu Dhabi Ports. Ali Shehab, Deputy Chief Executive, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company, also made a special presentation to the Conference by video link.