Maritime leaders in the fifth annual the Maritime Standard Ship Finance and Trade in Abu Dhabi

The main session assessed how infrastructure and asset investment can unlock trade potential after which conference delegates were treated to a special ‘up close’ question and answer interview session with Sanjay Mehta, Chairman, S One Capital, and Bibop Gresta, Chairman, Hyperloop. Other sessions assessed the future of ship finance and in particular the implications of changes in this sector for the market in Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent, and also how stakeholders can support regional trade development.

After the presentations there was a networking opportunity at which attendees and panelists were able to continue discussions about issues raised during the event.

AT another side , the tone was set by the keynote speaker, Ahmed Shareef Alkhoori, Director General, Federal Transport – Land & Maritime. He said: “Financial institutions have a key role to play in helping to unlock the barriers that can exist to the development of maritime businesses. It is important that good lines of communication between the financial and maritime sectors are cultivated, to allow both to take full advantages of the growth opportunities that exist.”

The chief executive of Abu Dhabi-based ADNOC Logistics & Services Capt. Abdulkareem Al Masabi, giving the second keynote, said from a shipowner perspective “we need long term financial partners to help achieve efficiencies in the global supply chain. Investment is central in this context and increased cooperation is needed.”

On behalf of Abu Dhabi Ports, Martin Arup, Chief Finance Officer, in his keynote speech, said “it is vital that shipping embraces technological solutions to drive the industry forward. In particular investment has to target the requirement for smart ports.”

Conference chairman Clive Woodbridge, editor of The Maritime Standard, said “it was a really dynamic conference with some extremely interesting presentations, that generally reflected a more upbeat and optimistic assessment of market trends. However, speakers also highlighted some of the key challenges that lie ahead, with the introduction of IMO 2020, the banking Poseidon principles, digital transformation and the emergence of a new generation of lenders, among others.”