Abu Dhabi: SiltaNews – News Desk
Dubai has maintained its international leadership among the top five countries in the “International Shipping Centre Development Index” for 2024, ranking among the leading centers in the maritime shipping and logistics sector, according to a recent report issued by the Baltic Exchange for Maritime Trade and Shipping and Xinhua News Agency, affiliated with the China Economic Information Service.
The organization ranked Dubai fifth among the top 20 international maritime trade centers for the fifth consecutive year, making it the only Arab maritime city on the list. Singapore, London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong also featured in the top four spots on the index.
The organization’s report, titled “Dubai Consolidates its Position as a Leading Maritime Power in the Middle East,” emphasized the emirate’s assessment, stating that 2023 saw Dubai rise to a prominent position in the maritime sector while also enthusiastically pursuing further growth in the future. It also noted that the Dubai Maritime Authority (DMA) issued Instruction No. 1 of 2023 regarding the transparency of local sea container fees in the emirate of Dubai, which requires all service providers to disclose their local sea container fees to the DMCA via the single window of the Dubai Trade portal.
The report stated that Dubai, after hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), has embarked on strengthening its maritime position in 2023, providing a prominent platform for major international maritime companies and organizations to announce innovative partnership and decarbonization initiatives during this global summit. On this occasion, His Excellency Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, expressed his happiness with the 2024 report’s findings, which confirm Dubai’s position as a strong maritime competitor on the global maritime map.
He stressed that the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation is committed to taking proactive steps to enhance the maritime sector’s contribution to achieving the strategic objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 for the next ten years, despite economic challenges and market fluctuations worldwide. His Excellency affirmed that Dubai’s leading position as the only Arab city on the list of 20 international maritime shipping centers is conclusive evidence of the emirate’s continued growth while strengthening its pivotal role among the most important and influential maritime capitals in the coming years.
For his part, Sheikh Dr. Saeed bin Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, CEO of the Dubai Maritime Authority, stated that the maritime sector plays a vital role in Dubai’s business environment and is an essential part of the emirate’s economy. He said, “The Dubai Maritime Authority is working to strengthen Dubai’s position as a global maritime hub through innovation, sustainability, and investment, as well as future trends in the maritime industry in the Middle East, by expanding the scope of commercial operations and developing infrastructure.”
Regarding Dubai’s maintaining its fifth-place position globally for the fifth consecutive year, Sheikh Dr. Saeed bin Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum affirmed that this is yet another international testament to Dubai’s leading position and the UAE’s distinguished maritime business environment, which is moving towards further enhancement and empowerment with the implementation of global best practices in the maritime and shipping sector.
The report issued by the organization stated that, in addition to Dubai’s leadership in environmental sustainability, the emirate has risen to the top of the global logistics landscape in the period 2023/2024, thanks to its ongoing efforts to decarbonize and develop environmentally friendly marine ecosystems, as well as its seamless integration of sea, land, and air freight capabilities.
The “International Shipping Centre Development Index” report, which is issued annually, is based on a methodology based on assessing the competitiveness of maritime business attraction, determining the extent of development in maritime centers around the world, as well as the overall impact and pivotal role in driving the growth of the global maritime shipping sector.