Dubai has launched the Maritime Advisory Council (MAC), led by the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), an ambitious initiative aimed at engaging more closely with maritime businesses from both the private and public sectors.
The MAC push supports both the Dubai Strategic Plan 2021, which aims to build an integrated and sustainable maritime economy, and Dubai Maritime Vision 2030, a plan conceived to strengthen the emirate’s unique competitive advantages.
“This initiative will nurture closer collaboration and mutual understanding between all the key maritime industry stakeholders in Dubai,” comments Amer Ali, Executive Director, DMCA .
“This will help us appreciate their commercial challenges and find solutions that enhance the confidence of regional and international investors in our local marine environment. The result will be a stronger and mutually supportive sector, which will facilitate further growth of Dubai’s already booming maritime economy.”
Over the last two years some 75,000 new job opportunities have been created in the sector, while maritime now contributes some 4.6% of Dubai’s total GDP (equivalent to 14.4 billion AED).
According to Nawfal Al Jourani, DMCA Director Communications , this strong growth is on course to continue: “ Dubai is driving maritime growth through political will, commercial understanding and a major investment in developing advanced infrastructure to support further sustainable development.”
The Maritime Advisory Council is composed of key figures from prominent businesses operating in the sector. The members include DP World, Dry Docks World, Emirates Classification Society ‘TASNEEF,’ DIFC Courts, Clarksons, Tufton Oceanic, Gulf Energy Maritime (GEM), United Arab Shipping Company (UASC), Maersk Line, Emarat Maritime, Fichte and Co, Partner Ince and Co, Global Marketing Systems (GMS), and Dubai Trading Agency (DTA).