Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the government authority charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising all aspects of Dubai’s maritime sector, has been presenting the Dubai Maritime Cluster Office initiative at Norshipping 2017 with considerable success. DMCO, established last year, aims to support efforts to realise the objectives of the Dubai Maritime Sector Strategy (MSS) to make the emirate a leading global maritime hub.
The new office oversees, implements, and promotes MSS as part of its pivotal role, and showcasing the project to Norwegian and international shipowners and operators has been a primary achievement of DMCA’s presence at this year’s Norshipping.
DMCO represents a major boost to ongoing efforts to substantially increase the current 5,500 maritime companies operating in the city. The newly launched office is set to enhance the level of local maritime activities, which rose further to 13,000 in 2017, as well as reinforcing the sector’s economic contribution that is valued at AED 26.9 billion. Over 76,000 jobs have been created, highlighting the emirate’s transformation into one of the world’s most important maritime hub centres.
Dubai Maritime Cluster Office’s tasks and responsibilities include identification and implementation of key performance indicators and other relevant targets; determination of current and emerging challenges; and the establishment of effective tools to address industry concerns. The office oversees
the promotion of maritime best practices across various sub-sectors in the maritime cluster in the emirate as part of its goal to catapult Dubai into the ranks of the world’s most important and competitive maritime centre. It is also deploying a series of programs and initiatives aimed at upgrading maritime and logistics related services, in addition to updating legislation, regulation and infrastructure and improving the operational processes according to the highest standards of excellence, quality, innovation and maritime safety.
Amer Ali, Executive Director of DMCA, said: “Norshipping 2017 was a perfect opportunity to promote and explain the DMCO initiative. Within its first year of operation the office has proved to be an important addition to the range of capabilities and services we can offer and one that aims to further enhance the status of the emirate as a maritime centre, within the overall strategy for Dubai’s industrial and economic development. The feedback we have received at Norshipping has confirmed that the role played by the DMCO is crucial as Dubai moves towards a more sustainable economic growth model.”
A number of initiatives fall under the DMCO. These include the Maritime Advisory Council; Dubai Maritime Intelligence; Dubai Maritime Club; Dubai Maritime Week, Dubai Maritime Summit, Dubai’s Maritime Agenda; The Dubai Maritime Training Centre; and the Maritime Creativity Lab.
Dubai Maritime Cluster Office is also tasked with representing the UAE at various international maritime forums. As well as Norshipping, this will include London International Maritime Week in the United Kingdom, Posidonia in Greece, SMM Hamburg in Germany and the Marine Money conference in the United States, among others.
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