Gulf Maritime 2011, a leading maritime sourcing platform, will host Mastech, a major international conference on naval architecture and shipbuilding, during the industry event in Sharjah.

The eighth edition of Gulf Maritime will be held from December 12 to 14 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The memorandum of understanding between Expo Centre Sharjah and MAST, an association of naval architects, was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing OIC Expo at Expo Centre Sharjah.

“The launch edition of Mastech was held in 2008 in Dubai and we are privileged to have the opportunity to tie-up with MAST to bring this leading industry event to Sharjah,” said Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, director-general of Expo Centre Sharjah.

“Mastech will be a great value-addition to Gulf Maritime exhibition, which has successfully weathered the turbulence of the global slowdown and is now gearing up for its eighth edition."

"We look forward to seeing over 400 regional and international naval architects and engineering professionals at the event which makes it the largest gathering of its kind in the region,” Al Midfa added.

“Having the Mastech 2011 conference alongside the Gulf Maritime exhibition offers great synergies and opportunities for the Middle East maritime industry,” said Rajesh Babu, naval architect at Drydocks World, Dubai.

“The industry is seeing great growth at the same time as substantial change, with technology and design in the maritime world a special focus to solve many of those challenges” he added.

MAST is the Middle East alumni association of naval architects graduated from the department of ship technology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India. – TradeArabia News Service