The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) has launched a strategic partnership with Marihub, a leading e-commerce service provider, to develop value-added services for the maritime sector and UAE’s ports. 

 

The move, which coincides with the ‘UAE Innovates’ initiative, is part of the Ministry’s endeavour to enhance the competitiveness of the UAE’s maritime sector and consolidate its position as one of the best maritime hubs in the world.

 

The partnership aims to explore opportunities to enhance the maritime sector through digital tools and solutions, especially after the significant shift the industry has witnessed in terms of adopting digital solutions after the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Competitiveness indicators

Eng Hassan Mohammed Al Mansouri, Under-Secretary of Infrastructure and Transport Affairs at MoEI, said: “The UAE leads numerous global competitiveness indicators in the maritime sector. It is ranks 3rd globally in the Bunker Supply Index, 5th as a key competitive maritime hub and 12th in the transport lines index. 

 

“This is a result of the competitive business environment the UAE provides, which attracts major international maritime companies and makes the country's ports a preferred destination for international shipping lines. However, we will not rest on our laurels; we want to occupy the top position in all international maritime indicators. We look forward to innovations and digital platforms to contribute to enhancing the UAE’s position and improving its global ranking.”

 

Al Mansouri pointed out that this partnership complements several initiatives that seek to increase the contribution of the maritime sector to the UAE's GPA, which is currently estimated at about AED90 billion ($24.5 billion) annually. The aim is to make the UAE's blue economy a major pillar of its national economy.

 

More than 27,000 maritime companies work in the UAE. Last year, over 25,000 commercial ships called the UAE’s ports. The country has over 20 leading international seaports and some of the largest oil export ports in the world. The UAE ranks 7th globally in the volume of container handling.

 

Promoting maritime business

Eng Hessa Al Malek, Advisor to the Minister for Maritime Transport, Affairs, the UAE MoEI, said: “We seek to unify the maritime sector to build the UAE Maritime Cluster, and turn it into a powerhouse that enhances business growth opportunities and creates new capabilities for companies by bringing them together. Digital technologies are the best way to build this cluster, standardise information related to the maritime sector and develop innovative mechanisms to explore business opportunities that can benefit all stakeholders. Our partnership with Marihub, which has a pioneering experience in the digital sector, will attract more companies specialised in developing digital solutions to join the UAE Maritime Cluster.”

 

Al Malek added: “This partnership is yet another step to promote innovation in the maritime sector, especially that this month, the UAE celebrates innovation and developing the capabilities of the government system, which has become an international incubator for quality ideas. At the current stage, we focus all our innovations on building a sustainable and environmentally-friendly maritime sector. There is no doubt that technological tools and digital platforms that improve the work cycle and reduce unnecessary procedures are key means for achieving sustainability.”

 

Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship

Karim El-Najjar, Director of Marihub, said: “Our partnership with MoEI confirms that the Ministry is the top sponsor of creativity and innovative ideas in the maritime industry. This supports the UAE’s endeavours to adopt digitisation and modern technologies to add value to the maritime industry and provide the best tools to improve the efficiency of businesses and increase their profitability. Since the inception of Marihub, we have seen the great impact digital solutions can achieve by saving time and operational costs.”

 

El-Najjar added: “Through our cooperation with the Ministry, we aim to make technology a cornerstone for building the UAE Maritime Cluster as well as enhance the UAE’s directions and leadership in sustainability and green technologies through the power of data. Our goal is to achieve the maximum benefit for the end consumer as this will promote the attractiveness of the UAE’s maritime sector and enhance its global position and competitiveness.”

 

This partnership is complemented by many other quality projects and initiatives MoEI has already launched. These include the UAE Maritime Cluster initiative and the Maritime Network, which aims to build a global network of professionals and experts to enhance the competitiveness of the UAE’s maritime sector and market it globally, making use of the strong presence of international maritime companies in the UAE.-- TradeArabia News Service