The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) has begun its preparations for the upcoming Dubai Maritime Agenda 2019, which will highlight the latest technological innovations capable of boosting the global maritime sector’s development, growth, and sustainability.

The event will be held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Executive Council, on September 22.

The Dubai Maritime Agenda will host a session on ‘Artificial Intelligence/Block-Chain Technologies and Maritime Trade’ to shed light on how the shipping and logistics sectors are adapting to new technologies compared to other industries.

The discussion will take place against the backdrop of the growing influence of Dubai, named one of the best marine centres in the world for 2019, in the international maritime community.

The emirate is at the forefront in the GCC region in implementing smart applications and next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to build competitive maritime clusters driven by innovation and sustainability.

Dubai’s move is part of its efforts to better serve the local and global maritime players.

Amer Ali, executive director, DMCA, said that the session will highlight the latest applications adopted to develop the shipping and logistics services in Dubai.

This is in line with the government’s initiatives to enhance the local maritime sector’s global competitiveness and strengthen all its fundamentals to attract trade and investments.

He reiterated DMCA’s commitment to help further improve the quality of and speed of delivering all maritime and shipping services in the emirate to make it the world’s leading hub for shipping and logistics. This commitment is critical to the government’s economic diversification efforts.

Ali said: “Dubai and the UAE have always taken the lead in using blockchain to build a global hub capable of meeting the needs of the future. Integrating this type of technology into our procedures and processes is in response to the directives of our wise leaders, who aim to harness the power of advanced technologies to effectively serve the needs of local society by improving the government’s performance.”

“Through this year’s Dubai Maritime Agenda, we look forward to keeping abreast of all the changes and developments to create a clear roadmap for the local and global shipping and maritime trade sectors using new technological innovations,” he added.

The ‘Artificial Intelligence/Block-chain Technologies and Maritime Trade’ is the Dubai Maritime Agenda’s second session. The discussions on blockchain will be timely as this technology continues to gain traction in maritime trade.

During the session, the attendees are expected to review the most effective technological solutions to meet the current and emerging challenges in the maritime community. It will also discuss strategic ways to achieve a balance between the benefits of new technology and cybersecurity risks, while examining the impact of AI, automation, and other digital systems on the human element of shipping.

The Dubai Maritime Agenda comes at a time when the UAE continues to attain a remarkable progress in its adoption of blockchain technology across sectors.

The session will feature leading international experts. They include Iqbal AliKhan, program director – Blockchains & Innovations, IBM; Mike Bhaskaran, chief technology officer, DP World; Henning Schleyerbach, chief operating officer, Digital Container Shipping Association; Martijn Thijsen, head of digital strategy and transformation, Port of Rotterdam; and Aaron Heslehurst, news anchor and presenter, BBC World News TV.

The Dubai Maritime Agenda 2019 is one of the highlights of the UAE Maritime Week 2019, which will be staged from September 22 to 26, 2019.

During the UAE Maritime Week, global maritime industry leaders will explore the future of the maritime industry amid the need for innovation, new knowledge, and smart transformation. The event will focus on maritime trade and its growth prospects.  

A series of high-level forums will be held to enhance communication channels and support the exchange of international best practices and experiences. Dubai will share its experience and efforts to become a major maritime portal for global trade, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service