More than 7,000 participants from around 69 countries are expected to attend the Seatrade Maritime Middle East 2016 Exhibition and Conference to be held tomorrow (October 31), in Dubai, UAE.

The three-day event will run until November 2, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The event, now in its eighth edition, will be held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

This year’s interactive conference programme will once again bring together a panel of maritime industry leaders, influential economists and shipping analysts for an in-depth analysis of where the current industry status quo, and will also examine regional industry opportunities, along with a series of presentations and ground-breaking case studies on key maritime projects, including Egypt’s Suez Canal expansion, and schedule of educational technical forums, said the organisers.

The opening economic forum session, to be chaired by well-known moderator and broadcast journalist, Eithne Treanor, will feature a high profile panel line-up that will set the scene for three days of successful conference discussion, it said.

The event’s panelists include Abdulrahman Essa Al Mannai, president and CEO, Milaha; Marcus Machin, CEO, Tufton Oceanic Finance Group; Admiral Mohab Mohamed Mameesh, chairman and managing director, Suez Canal Authority; Tim Power, MD, Drewry and Tim Fox, Head of Research and Chief Economist at Emirates NBD.

The second day will present an action-packed schedule, opening with the Seatrade Tanker conference at which a number of the industry’s most respected experts led by Katharina Stanzel, managing director, Intertanko, will engage in a Middle East-focused discussion on the crude oil tanker market and product tanker trading, added the organisers.

A brace of technical forums will dominate the early afternoon with sessions examining the critical issues facing an ever-changing seascape in terms of shipping and environmental challenges shipping and environmental challenges, followed by a lively discussion on Crewing: The vital interface, both held in association with the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST), it stated.

Moderated by Nikeel Idnani, honorary secretary, IMarEST UAE Branch, the panel will feature Captain Stephen Bligh, senior principal consultant, head of section, Maritime Advisory, Region South East Europe and Middle East, DNV GL and Captain Lee Chee Seong, vice president – network operations, United Arab Shipping Company (SAG).

Another highlight of the three-day event, is hosting the 61st annual International Shipsuppliers & Services Association (ISSA) Convention, it added.

“In the two years since our last event, global trade movement has faced increasingly challenging economic pressures, and the international maritime industry continues to be impacted by future oil price forecasts, the state of the Middle East economy in general and the effect of the Chinese trade slowdown - the timing of this year’s event couldn't be more pertinent,” said Emma Howell, group marketing manager, Seatrade. – TradeArabia News Service