The UAE has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in the Category B membership for the third time.
Media reports said that the re-election happened following comprehensive efforts and an intensive election campaign leading up to the elections.
The results of the election were announced during the 32nd session of the IMO Assembly in London, which will conclude on 15 December 2021.
The reports said the UAE has been a frontrunner in several global competitiveness indicators in the maritime sector. The country was ranked third in transport services trade and Bunker Supply Index.
It ranked fifth as a key competitive maritime hub and 13th globally in Port Performance and Efficiency Index.
The country’s ports rank among the top 10 internationally in the volume of container handling. There are over 27,000 maritime companies in the UAE and the country’s ports rank among the top worldwide.
Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said, “The UAE has reaffirmed its leading status as a vital maritime center in the world with this achievement. Our re-election to the Council of the IMO has further strengthened our active role in developing the sector and enhancing maritime safety standards, as well as protecting the marine environment globally.”
Al Mazrouei said the maritime sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP is AED90 billion annually.
“Our ports handled over 15 million TEUs during 2020, and there were over 25,000 port calls in the UAE during the same year. UAE’s national fleet capacity stands at 21 million DWT. Our national fleet in 2020 consisted of 970 vessels. The re-election has further encouraged us to continue our work with member states to advance the global maritime sector by achieving the safety, security, and efficiency of maritime transport,” he said.
Mohammed Khamis Al Kaabi, UAE Permanent Representative at the IMO, said, “Through its membership in the IMO, the UAE will continue to contribute to developing the global maritime sector.”
He said that in cooperation with the Member States of IMO, UAE has participated in a proposal to develop the best approach of regulatory scoping exercise on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) under the Maritime Safety Committee and Legal Committee.
The UAE has recently contributed to several amendments in the IMO such as submitting a proposal to increase the members of the organization’s council to consist of 52 members instead of 40 members, in addition to the proposal to increase the term of office of the Council to four years, he said.
As part of the Council, the UAE contributed to the IMO’s efforts to establish the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden, since its inception in 1983, through its active membership in the Board of Governors and Executive Committee, between 1983 and 1991. In addition to this, UAE has also participated in national and international forums aimed at conveying and exchanging experiences in maritime education and training.