Key industry players including the Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, DP World GCC, ADNOC L&S, Monjasa, Oldenhoff Carriers, Tristar E-Ships and Hapag Lloyd have met at the start of UAE Maritime Week in a closed-door environment to debate topical discussion points before joining wider conversations in the main event conference during Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre until May 8th, 2025.
Introducing the Seatrade Maritime Club Round Table, Emma Howell, Seatrade Director, said: “The Round Table is a special gathering, offering a closed door setting with intelligent discussions about the most important topics of our industry today. All over the world, this forum has addressed pressing challenges by creating an open dialogue amongst c-suite executives and leaders.”
The Seatrade Maritime Club was formed with the ethos of creating a community for senior maritime executives to tackle the challenges facing the industry, stimulate innovation and encourage collaboration. The Club pulls on over 50 years of heritage from within the Seatrade brand and works closely in tandem with Seatrade events, Seatrade Maritime News and the wider Informa Markets Maritime portfolio. Since 2023, the Seatrade Maritime Club has organized exclusive, closed-door roundtables in conjunction with Seatrade Maritime events across the UK, USA, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines.
In this latest Round Table, there were two main topics of discussion: Navigating Trump Tariffs and Decarbonization in Part 1 and for Part 2, The Seafarers Role in Decarbonisation – both moderated by Fazel Fazelbhoy, CEO, Synergy Offshore and Seatrade Maritime Club Ambassador.
According to Fazelbhoy: “The global shipping industry faces dual challenges: the ongoing implications of Trump-era tariffs on international trade and the urgent need to meet stringent decarbonisation targets under regulations like FuelEU Maritime, and global measures agreed at the IMO. The first part focussed on how to navigate the complexities of tariff regulations that continue to affect trade flows and areas where collaboration might present mutual benefits, whilst part 2 put seafarers at the heart of the discussion.
“We addressed the key questions of how do we invest in the future of shipping in a way that advances both sustainability and seafarer readiness—ensuring that decarbonisation is not just a corporate initiative, but a workforce-driven success and how do we ensure our seafarers receive practical, hands-on training that prepares them for alternative fuels and digitalised operations without disrupting fleet efficiency.”
The Seatrade Maritime Club Round Table heralded the start of the UAE Maritime Week which is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure with Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East held as the focal exhibition and conference of the week-long activities.
More than 7,000 maritime and shipping attendees will converge on Dubai during this period and a record 150+ speakers will share their knowledge at a packed – and free to attend – conference agenda at Dubai World Trade Centre from 6-8 May held with strategic partner, DP World and supported by 15 high-profile maritime organisations including the Nautical Institute; ICS Middle East; International Ports and Harbors; IMarEST and more.
