The largest breakbulk and project cargo event in the GCC, Breakbulk Middle East (BBME), will return to Dubai, UAE, for a second consecutive year in February 2020 following its successful 2019 edition.

Under the patronage Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and the chairman of Federal Transport Authority for Land and Maritime, the event will take place on February 25 and 26, 2020, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

DP World, UAE Region will be the official host port of BBME2020 for the second consecutive time, said a statement from the orgnasiers.

Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and managing director of DP World, UAE Region, said: “We are pleased to be partnering with Breakbulk Middle East again in their efforts to bring together our region’s industry leaders.”

“We believe that within a short span of five years, Breakbulk Middle East has established itself as an ideal network platform for port operators, carriers, shippers, forwarders and heavy-lift logistics specialists,” he said.

“The breakbulk sector will significantly benefit from informed discussions provided by industry leaders attending the conference concerning opportunities and the challenges we face collectively. With Dubai consistently elevating its stature as one of the top maritime hubs in the world, Breakbulk Middle East has given the industry a strong sense of confidence in its ability to contribute to this vision. We look forward to the upcoming edition of BBME 2020, which will effectively build upon the success achieved so far,” he added.

Over 3,400 attendees and 1,700 companies attended last year’s edition, justifying the decision for BBME to make a repeat appearance in Dubai. Commenting on the optimised value of choosing to carry out the event in Dubai for the second consecutive time, Ben Blamire, the event’s Commercial Director explained, “Dubai’s hospitable business climate makes the UAE one of the most attractive destinations for conducting business.”

“The 2019 edition of Breakbulk Middle East reinforced this notion as the event saw more than 90 exhibitors from 75 countries participating, and a significant spike in attendance of 83% from the previous year. These promising results showcased Dubai’s vital role in uniting key decision-makers of the cargo and supply chain industries,” he said.

Blamire further elaborated, saying, “Similar to Dubai’s forward-thinking culture, Breakbulk Middle East is adamant on fostering innovation to enhance the project cargo industry and overall regional landscape. Accordingly, BBME2020 will highlight the latest trends and technologies and initiate workshops across educational institutes within the UAE to better prepare the youth. BBME2020 will align with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) vision of increasing women in maritime by collaborating with organizations like the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) and the Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA).”

Alongside the exhibition, BBME offers a full two-day conference covering significant industry issues to enable project cargo specialists with the ability to seize regional opportunities and construct effective project plans.

Sponsored by loyal key partners like King Abdullah Port, Agility, Bahri Logistics, Abu Dhabi Ports, King Abdulaziz Port, MICCO, COSCO Shipping and Port of Salalah, both the conference and expo guarantee face-to-face opportunities to discuss these topics in greater depth.

Leslie Meredith, marketing director of Breakbulk Events & Media, said: “The most recent edition of BBME witnessed exceptional success. Results showed that 55 per cent of attendees planned to purchase from an exhibitor that they had met and 64 per cent came to source new suppliers and business partners.”

“With nearly 150 shippers having attended the 2019 edition, both Dubai’s and Breakbulk Middle East’s strong ability to promote collaboration within the maritime industry was on full display. We are tirelessly working with our prestigious sponsors and partners to ensure that the upcoming fifth edition of the event lives up to the standards of this year’s fourth edition to ultimately exceed expectations yet again,” Meredith added.

“We will be opening the door for registration for the fifth edition of the event soon, and we welcome all industry leaders and experts to join us by registering through our official platforms,” concluded Meredith. – TradeArabia News Service