The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) recently highlighted the outstanding achievements of the maritime sector before a high-level delegation composed of senior managers and employees of 11 leading French maritime companies. Headlining the achievements was the recent honour naming Dubai as one of the top five cities in International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCD). During the meeting, DMCA officials discussed the competitive advantages of the local maritime sector, which currently hosts more than 7,400 companies and at least 13,000 maritime and investment activities.
Attendees took the opportunity to exchange best practices and experiences, with the French delegation praising Dubai for its pioneering achievements and global influence. The DMCA team, for its part, learned about the common business frameworks of the French companies looking to explore the prospects of entering the local maritime community to capitalize on its investment incentives, advanced infrastructure, and maritime and logistics capabilities.
The Dubai Maritime Virtual Cluster (DMVC) also presented its role as an effective tool in promoting positive interaction and active participation among maritime sector leaders given its flexibility, efficiency, and quality in providing a comprehensive and integrated portfolio of services. Moreover, the DMCA stressed on the importance of DMVC in the fields of research, development and innovation—emphasizing on the significant role it plays in the move to enhance maritime safety, reduce carbon footprint and achieve sustainability, in line with the goals of Dubai Maritime Vision to build a secure and sustainable maritime sector capable of supporting the Dubai’s economic diversification efforts.
Amer Ali, Executive Director of DMCA said: “the visit was another proof of the international community’s strong confidence in the capabilities of Dubai’s maritime industry, one of the world’s leading maritime capitals. The meeting was another means to strengthen communication between local and French maritime industry leaders, paving the way for Dubai to showcase numerous local investment opportunities and its achievements towards leadership under the guidance of its wise leadership and through the effective partnerships between government and private sectors, regional and global organisations with a focus on highlighting the promising prospects for regional and international investors within the local maritime sector in support of the emirate’s economic diversification strategy.
Ali added: “We had fruitful discussions about future collaborative efforts between Dubai and France, especially in the context of our quality focused initiatives that encourage the involvement of the global maritime community in the activities of the local maritime segment, led by the DMVC, which is based on a mechanism that covers the development of the maritime cluster, empowerment, education and participation, providing an ideal platform for promoting innovation, research and development, the adoption of best maritime practices and the facilitation of access of maritime leaders to world-class maritime services in Dubai. We look forward to working together with French and international companies to ensure the transfer, dissemination, and enrichment of maritime knowledge, successful experiences and best practices with the maritime pioneers, which will reflect positively on the reality and future of the local and global maritime industry.”
The high-level French delegation included officials and representatives from leading maritime companies including Advanced Aerodynamics Vessels, Ecole Nationale des scaphadriers, Ecole Navale de Brest, Ecoslops, HGH Systemes Infrarouges, Naval Group Far East, Perfect Mooring, and Planitec, among others.
