September 1, 2014
Dubai, United Arab
Emirates
H.E. Sultan Bin
Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation
and President of Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the government
authority charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising all
aspects of Dubai’s maritime sector, has underlined the significant
role played by the Dubai Maritime Sector Strategy (MSS) in support of
Dubai Maritime Vision 2030. The vision aims to develop, regulate and
promote the local maritime industry while at the same time reinforce
Dubai’s position as a world-class, premiere international maritime
hub. H.E. Sultan Bin Sulayem’s statement was given during a recent
DMCA supervisory coordination meeting that showcased the latest
updates and achievements in the efforts to boost Dubai’s maritime
competitiveness and offer key foundations to raise the bar on the
local maritime industry in line with internationally recognized
standards and best international practices.
H.E. Sultan Bin
Sulayem said, “Dubai Maritime Vision 2030 is positioned as a
strategic base to promote Dubai and its highly competitive maritime
segment. In fact, Dubai is as equally competent with other leading
maritime and logistics centres in the Middle East and North African
(MENA) region and the rest of the world. To achieve the goals set out
by Dubai Maritime Vision 2030, industry players in the emirate must
work closely and intensify their efforts in reaching this vision.”
“The local
maritime industry is considered to be a key cornerstone in the
unified efforts to drive sustainable growth and overall development
in the future. It is also a major partner in the move to further
enhance Dubai’s regional and international competitiveness.
Moreover, the Dubai MSS is a key step forward in aiming to make a
difference in the maritime industry and increase its contribution to
the country’s GDP, which is poised to enhance its position as one
of the leading value-added economical industries in Dubai, following
the vision and directives set forth by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and
Ruler of Dubai,” H.E. Sultan Bin Sulayem added.
During the meeting,
participants discussed current performance indicators and the
execution stages of the Dubai MSS, which has so far resulted in the
creation and implementation of new regulations and guidelines that
ensure further compliance with the highest maritime standards in
safety and operations management. These efforts are not only aimed at
meeting the objectives set by the Dubai MSS but also to help increase
productivity, competitiveness and the creation of an integrated and
highly-sustainable maritime environment that can respond effectively
to market changes and emerging trends by continuously attracting
regional and international investors into Dubai.
The local maritime
sector recently made major leaps in terms of its direct contribution
to Dubai’s GDP, which amounted to 4.6 per cent or the equivalent of
AED 14.4 billion. Maritime operations, maritime engineering, ports
and shipping come as leading marine components that contribute to the
local economy, followed by maritime and recreational services and
different offshore support services. These components played an
active role in supplying the labor market with more than 75,000
promising job opportunities to meet the demand for qualified human
resources, especially in maritime operations, maritime engineering
and ports, which accounted for 51 per cent and 25 per cent of the
employment rates within Dubai’s maritime sector, respectively.
H.E. Bin Sulayem
commended the ongoing efforts made by Dubai MSS team to make a
positive change in the emirate’s maritime industry via a series of
pilot initiatives focused on implementing modern regulations and
legislation; applying the highest standards in maritime safety;
developing integrated logistics programs and improving the emirate’s
infrastructure in order to establish clear and strong foundations
aimed at creating a vibrant and secure maritime sector that can act
as a key driver for economic development.
H.E. Bin Sulayem
further added that the positive results achieved by the DMCA can be
attributed to the fruitful cooperation between government and
non-government entities and the unlimited support given by the Dubai
Executive Council. He also called on the attendees to remain
committed in developing all components of the local maritime sector
and make the best out of potential opportunities to help accelerate
Dubai’s transformation into one of the most advanced maritime
centers in the world.
“The Dubai MSS is
gaining strategic momentum with a strong focus on developing
essential maritime industry components. We are confident in our
ability to achieve significant results and make a radical shift in
lifting the local maritime sector to a higher level of growth and
sustainability in collaboration with our strategic partners in the
public and private sectors. We look forward to further work on the
application of maritime strategic axes, which will have a central
role in the local maritime sector’s move to help drive in more
economic growth and turn Dubai into a major centre of
entrepreneurship and investment,” H.E. Sultan Bin Sulayem
concluded.
