Ship owners and managers, port operators and cargo owners, C-Suite stakeholders, financiers, and other maritime professionals are attending the Seatrade Maritime Middle East (SMME) 2018 which opened today (October 29) in Dubai, UAE.

The event is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

The event, considered one of the most important of its kind in the region, will run until October 31, and is the official maritime exhibition to take place during the UAE Maritime Week 2018.

Nearly 300 exhibitors from leading international maritime companies and over 8,000 attendees, including renowned local, regional, and global maritime experts and specialists, are expected to join the trade show and its associated events, said a statement.

During the three-days, participants are going to network, do business, strengthen and nurture new relationships, while hearing about industry topics within relevant and comprehensive conference sessions, seminars and panel discussions, among others, it said.
 
The topics to be discussed in the scheduled forums will revolve around autonomous shipping and automation; fuels of the future; digital and cyber technologies; and environmental challenges within the shipping industry.

Participants will also have an opportunity to meet the world’s leading suppliers covering supply, construction, and maintenance of vessels.

Ahead of Seatrade Maritime Middle East is the Seatrade Maritime Awards, the largest and longest awards body for the maritime sector in the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, and African regions, which was held on October 28, and this year celebrates its 15th year anniversary.

The awards were established to recognise and celebrate the achievements of the maritime industry across various segments, bringing to the fore the best practices within the maritime and shipping communities, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service