The UAE Maritime Week 2018, a major event that will highlight Dubai and the UAE as a leading maritime destination, is set to kick off on Sunday, October 28.

The first-of-its-kind event in the region will gather a number of local, regional, and international maritime pioneers to identify current and future status of the industry in light of the major trends of innovation, knowledge and smart transformation.

The city has been named one of the top five maritime centres in the International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCD) and one of the five most competitive and attractive maritime communities in the world.

Amer Ali, executive director of Dubai Maritime City Authority, said: "We cannot wait to welcome the world's leading maritime industry leaders, decision-makers, policy makers, innovators, and influential figures to Dubai where we will convene to explore new horizons as well as accelerate growth of the international maritime economy based on the latest smart and innovative technologies. The agenda of the UAE Maritime Week 2018 will include major global maritime issues and topics.”

Ali Added: "As a proud host of the UAE Maritime Week 2018, we promise an exciting agenda that will enhance further the region’s communication channels with the global maritime community. We are keen to focus on ways to facilitate, promote, and support the global maritime trade movement, scientific and technical developments in alternative marine fuels, and regulatory frameworks and initiatives in keeping with the sustainable development process.

“We are confident that the outputs of the current session will be up to expectations as we renew our commitment to enrich knowledge and exchange experiences and best practices. This commitment drives the advancement of smart transformation, promotes human investment, and instils a culture of innovation in the local, regional, and global maritime sectors.”

The UAE Maritime Week 2018 will facilitate exchange of best international practices and provide a platform to review the latest marine and technological innovations in support of a competitive, inclusive, and attractive investment community.

To be held until November 1, the event will include a number of prestigious maritime events, including the Dubai Maritime Summit on the opening day, which will bring together local and international maritime leaders under one umbrella to discuss the issues and challenges of the sector.

The UAE Maritime Future Leaders Seminars will also be held to discuss the best ways to employ innovation and smart technology to drive maritime growth and development, in addition to the Seatrade Maritime Middle East Exhibition and the ‘Seatrade Maritime Middle East Awards.’ The Awards will be staged on October 29 at the Atlantis Hotel to honour industry excellence, creativity, and maritime innovation.

 About 850 international pioneers are expected to attend the Awards. The UAE Maritime Innovation Day, a day dedicated to maritime arbitration, will be held as well to help promote Dubai as a world-class venue for high-profile, state-of-the-art maritime forums.

The UAE Maritime Week 2018 is expected to repeat, if not surpass, the achievements of the 2016 edition. During the previous edition, more than 350 exhibitors from around the world and around 7,000 top local, regional, and international experts gathered under one single platform to discuss the latest developments in the maritime community and review the most important local and global solutions and opportunities. – TradeArabia News Service