The Middle East region’s Maritime Academic Conference and Expo (MARACAD) is set to open on 9-10 November at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The conference will focus on training for and utilising state-of-the-art marine technologiesthat can help address critical maritime issues, according to a press statement.
The statement said MARACAD seeks to achieve a set of goals that aim at promoting growth in the maritime sector, identifying future challenges for maritime studies across Arab countries, and adopting the changes that are currently being introduced in maritime training.
“The conference will highlight investment in maritime education and discuss key strategies to promote this critical sector,” the statement read.
The event is expected to be attended by international maritime industry leaders, senior government officials, decision makers, maritime sector stakeholders and top experts, vessel operators and owners in the UAE and the region.
Alia Al Hussein, General Manager of Cham Events, the official host of the event, said the event is significant for fleets operating in Arab countries, which in the last three decades have witnessed remarkable growth, according to recent reports from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Al Hussein added that studies have shown that dry and liquid cargo ships and commercial fleets have increased by 90% of the imports and exports are shipped by sea.
“The total number of maritime Arab workers on various operating fleets does not fulfil the total workforce requirement,” said Al Hussein. “Therefore, the event is so strategic that it can provide a perfect answer to the unemployment problem in the Arab countries.”
According to International Maritime Organization (IMO), the international sea sector is in need of an increase of 70% in several maritime crews to bridge the current gap across the world.
