The UAE is participating in the meetings of the General Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, which kicked off yesterday in London and will run till July 28th to thrash out issues of relevance to the global maritime sector and best international practices followed in this field.
Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development, and Chairman of the Federal Authority for Maritime and Land Transport, who represents the country in the meetings, said the UAE has always proved its worth and leading role in the international maritime industry and has witnessed large-scale developments over past years, which came in fruition of the country’s expanding participation in global maritime trade and its efforts to develop regional and international transport systems.
The UAE is home to twenty world-class seaports, a number of which are ranked among the world’s top 10 ports, he added, noting that UAE is the maritime flagship for the Middle East and this is why many international maritime conferences choose the UAE as their venue.
The country boasts a competitive edge that has qualified the nation to compete with the world’s advanced countries in areas of maritime industry, he noted, adding that the significant contributions made by the country in this field have qualified the state to be nominated for the IMO membership under the Category 2 which includes 10 countries with major interests in the international maritime trade scene.
He affirmed the country’s determination to forge ahead with its efforts to enhance its maritime industry and to continue to significantly contribute to the international maritime trade.
On the sidelines of the meetings, Dr. Al Nuaimi met with the IMO Secretary General Ki Tack Lim, highlighting the effective role played by the country to accelerate the international maritime trade growth. He pointed to the robust legislation developed by the country with a view to enhancing its maritime trade sector, affirming their conformity with relevant international legislation and practices.
The international official commended the great potential boasted by the UAE maritime industry and the country’s unfailing commitment to develop its maritime transport sector and apply international maritime safety rules and standards.
Dr. Al Nuaimi participated as well in the meetings held for the IMO members in London which occasioned a full review of the UAE nomination for the international organisation membership in the presence of high-level delegations from different world countries. The meeting thrashed out the UAE’s contributions to the development of the maritime sector at the regional and international levels.
