Gulftainer, the largest privately owned port operator in the world, is participating in the Terminal Operations Conference & Exhibition Container Supply Chain: Middle East (TOC ME) – the longest-running series of trade events for international shipping, port and terminal communities in the world – which is taking place from 1-3 October in Dubai.
TOC brings together executives from shippers, liner shipping, ports, terminals, inland transport, finance and other stakeholder groups to discuss challenges and opportunities for maritime container trade, with particular focus on ports and terminals as critical nodes in international transport chains.
Speaking of his company’s participation, Peter Richards, Gulftainer MD , said: “Gulftainer is extremely pleased to be participating in this event. TOC ME is set to place the spotlight squarely on Middle Eastern ports, and will not only highlight opportunities for growth and investment at these ports, but will also provide the perfect platform to engage with the key industry players.”
Gulftainer’s Commercial Director, Jay New, addressed attendees during a discussion on Middle East Ports & Logistics Infrastructure: New projects, developments & investments on the opening day of the event.
Centred around plans to raise the total container terminal capacity across the Middle East, the discussion covered key issues such as master planning and finance considerations for port mega-projects, where is the capacity being built and where is it needed, opportunities for new private investment in ports and terminals, and progress on intermodal rail projects.
Mr New’s presentation, titled Moving goalposts – A terminal tale, looked at whether the changing scene of containerisation has been one of moving goal posts, or simply keeping up with changes to the rule book.
Gulftainer Group has been operating in the UAE and around the world for over 35 years. In the UAE it operates three main UAE ports: two on behalf of the Sharjah Port Authority – Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT) and Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT); and one in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, on behalf of the international plastics solutions company, Borouge.
Gulftainer has been able to maintain a strong position in the UAE through its ports at Sharjah and Khorfakkan, and KCT was named ‘Shipping Port of the Year’ at the Annual Supply Chain and Transport Awards (SCATA 2011) in Dubai. In recent years it has also invested in Iraq, Russia and Brazil.
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Gulftainer, October 2, 2012