Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been given the title of one of the world’s top five maritime/shipping hubs in the International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCD).
The countries that stand above Dubai in the index published by the London-based shipping exchange the Baltic Exchange and Xinhua are Singapore, Hong Kong, London and Shanghai.
The report stated that Dubai is well-known for its advanced infrastructure, logistics capabilities and world-class maritime, a commendable environment conducive to trade, business and investment.
“We are proud of the new achievement, which is a testament to the success of our dedicated efforts to enhance the competitiveness of the local maritime sector and consolidate Dubai’s leadership as a major global maritime player,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) and chairman of Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA).
Dubai has beaten the German port of Hamburg, which reached to the seventh place from fourth in the rankings. Sulayem also exclaimed that he was not surprised that Dubai has been ranked in the top five globally.
He further told that the components consist of shipping and ports, engineering and training, maritime support services and ports, and the operation and maintenance of giant maritime vessels.
Sulayem also stated, “This is in part the result of our fruitful partnership with the public and private sectors forged to enhance the confidence of regional and international investors in the competitiveness of the local maritime sector and promote its components based on the pillars of research and development, innovation, and smart transformation.”
Singapore was at the top of the global list, ahead of Hong Kong, London and Shanghai. On the other hand, Rotterdam improved from the eighth position to sixth, which, however previously occupied the top five positions between 2014 and 2016.