The UAE has officially submitted its candidacy for membership into the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Category B during its participation in the organization's General Meetings held in London, UK.

The plenary sessions, which was chaired by Abdullah Belheif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and chairman, Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport, discussed important and timely issues related to the maritime sector along with its global best practices, said a statement.

The UAE presented its candidacy during a coordination meeting organised by the Member States of the IMO, in the presence of Minister Al Nuaimi, it said.

The presentation included the contributions of the country in upgrading the maritime sector and its participation in the agreements of the international maritime system, in addition to its effective and influential role in supporting the marine sector locally, regionally and globally, it added.

IMO member states expressed their admiration for the UAE's bid for membership into Category B. In fact, Kitack Lim, secretary general, IMO, lauded the distinctive features of the UAE's maritime sector.

Lim said: “The UAE is actively contributing to the development and support of the global shipping sector--reinforcing their role as one of the most important members of the IMO.”

“Over the years, we have greatly benefited from its experiences that are shared during our public meetings and we look forward to working closely with the UAE for the further growth and development of the international maritime transport sector,” he said.

Al Nuaimi stressed that the UAE is seeking to join the executive council in the category B section and is looking to add more value to international trade and international shipping. He added that the UAE is a perfect candidate for Category B membership because of its international reputation, which enables it to be a strong executive in the organization and an active participant in the development of regulations and laws.

He also shared that the country is a pioneer in the global indicators of sea ports worldwide, and ranks third in the world in terms of the quality of port infrastructure.

Al Nuaimi revealed that the UAE has been a long-time member of the IMO – dating back to 1981. Derived from its rich maritime heritage, the country is regarded as one of the most important international maritime trade centres in the Gulf and the world and one of the most economically and commercially developed countries in the Middle East.

He also shared the UAE's strategic experience as an incubator for 20 of the world's leading ports with some being among the top 10 ports in terms of advanced infrastructure in the field of transport and shipping. It also operates more than 56 ports outside the UAE.

The UAE is the only Arab member country of the IMO Executive Council. 11 leading countries in the field of international maritime trade led by Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, France and Australia are also vying for membership.

Members will be elected at the 30th Ordinary General Assembly meeting between November 24 and December 5, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service