Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) has announced plans to host the industry’s first World Ports & Trade Summit in 2011.

Abu Dhabi Terminals, Arab Sea Ports Federation and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority have pledged their support for the event.

Scheduled for March 28-30, 2011 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, internationally renowned economists, ports authorities, terminal operators, shipping companies, global cargo owners and investors will be brought together to study the alternative futures facing the industry; to learn about new projects; to understand the investment opportunities taking shape and to find suppliers who can make projects happen.

“The World Ports & Trade Summit will deliver a vital exchange of knowledge as the ports and shipping industries look to evolve development strategies in line with economic management and recovery,” said Tony Douglas, chief of ADPC.

Despite the global economic downturn, spending on port developments in the Middle East is still growing, and industry sources state that $46.5 billion worth of port development projects are now planned or are under way.

Comprising a carefully designed mix of keynote conference sessions, panel debates, training workshops and round table discussions, the summit will also include an international exhibition and a fringe programme of networking events, association meetings, investor workshops and hosted tours of ports facilities in the UAE.

The opening conference session will feature award winning interviewer Tim Sebastian, chairman of the Doha Debates and former presenter of BBC’s HARDtalk moderating a discussion between leading economists, investors, retailers, freight forwarders and shipping lines.-TradeArabia News Service