King Abdullah Port increases level of support for Breakbulk Middle East 2019

For the second consecutive year, King Abdullah Port extends its support to Breakbulk Middle East 2019.

For the first time, the upcoming fourth annual edition will be held under the patronage of H.E Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and the Chairman of Federal Transport Authority for Land and Maritime, a remarkable feat which aligns with the event’s aim to further solidify its stance as the leading GCC event for the project cargo and breakbulk industry.

The two-day conference and exhibition taking place on the 11th and 12th of February at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, will tackle topics to aid project cargo specialists in seizing regional opportunities and constructing effective project plans.

Furthermore, BBME 2019 will play a crucial role in enhancing maritime and all related industry sectors as global leaders and top-level experts will gather to discuss existing issues and potential solutions.

Rayan Qutub, CEO of King Abdullah Port, highlighted the strategic importance of the conference and exhibition, and added: “The maritime and shipping industries account for 90% of the entire global trade market, which makes Breakbulk Middle East crucial to our region’s continued development.”

“The port has proved particularly successful in attracting a larger portion of the breakbulk sector of the industry, which provides us with further opportunity to grow and solidifies our global maritime competitiveness. We are estimating a further 15% increase in future volume, particularly involving steel, timber and cement cargo, and our partnership with specialist port operators and steel handlers AMSteel has already seen us increase our one-day cargo record to an impressive 27,000 t.”

Qutub continued: “The efficiency of King Abdullah Port has also helped create an extremely vibrant hub which has stimulated export rates in Saudi Arabia. This is already making a positive impact on our national economy and will continue to do so for many decades ahead.”

Given that the outlook for the coming five years in terms of gross domestic product development and the growth of imports and exports is considerably better than it was during the 2012-2016 period, it’s the time to capitalize on this positive projection. The UAE seems to be aware of this matter as they have been a key player in driving offshore investment in the Middle East region, securing an approximate US$66 billion in regional maritime sector investments.