Breakbulk Middle East 2023 builds the next generation of industry leaders

Held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Breakbulk Middle East, the leading breakbulk and project cargo event in the region, aims to promote the growth of the industry by educating young aspiring professionals about the sector.

Scheduled to take place on the February 14 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, BBME’s Education Day will bring together students from key universities and academies in the region to gain a real-world understanding of what a career in this industry has to offer from prominent industry leaders.

The first half of the day will feature a series of informative sessions, including “The World of Breakbulk – Case Study”, where industry professionals will share insights on recent breakbulk projects; “Career Opportunities”, during which, prospects lying in the sector will be discussed; and “Student Success Stories”, where fresh graduates working in the industry will provide details on their work-related experiences.

New this year are career roundtables where students will join representatives from different sectors to learn more about careers in a small group. Finally, students will be taken on a guided tour of the exhibition floor where they will network with selected exhibitors.

Capt. Rami Al Breiki, Chairman, YoungShip UAE said: “As a body focused on supporting the progress of young professionals in the shipping industry, we are always keen on backing initiatives such as the “Education Day”. The fact that the initiative not only attracts the attention of the youth towards this vital sector, but also connects them with some of the leading organisations in the industry, helps it stand out as one of the most successful steps in securing valuable work opportunities for our next generation of industry leaders. The sector we operate in carries over 90 per cent of global trade, making it the most crucial industry in facilitating the flow of goods from one place to another. This makes having the right kind of knowledge about the sector’s operations necessary. Learning directly from industry professionals about the sector’s operations during the “Education Day” will help greatly in this purpose.”

Empowering aspiring industry professionals

The 2023 edition of Breakbulk Middle East received the support of several leading education institutes from across the region. These include, Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy, Aries International Maritime Research Institute, Birla Institute of Technology, Higher Colleges of Technology, Jordan Maritime Academy, Lloyd’s Maritime Academy, London American City College, Middlesex University Dubai, and Murdoch University.

Farhan Saeed, Assistant Professor - Engineering Technology & Science, Faculty of Engineering, HCT said: “We at HCT believe that it is very important to focus on education across all industries in the UAE. The essence of successful economic growth stems from a strong education and knowledge base. Which is why, we offer full support to initiatives such as the “Education Day”. Such initiatives encourage the professional development of aspiring industry workers by enhancing their skills and knowledge, in addition to enabling a better understanding of the sector’s operations via direct interaction with industry leaders. We genuinely believe that Breakbulk Middle East is taking a bold step towards emphasising the importance of education by partnering with top institutes and academies in the region, thus ensuring that the industry will be in good hands in the future.”

Securing the future of the sector

Speaking on the need to enhance the capabilities of aspiring industry professionals in order to secure the future of the sector, Dr. Sreejith Balasubramanian, Head, Centre for Supply Chain Excellence, and Chair of the Research Committee at Middlesex University Dubai said: “The UAE has great prominence as a global breakbulk and project cargo hub. It is essential for the country to execute consistent and long-term actions on all fronts of the industry to maintain this status, and this undeniably includes education. The next generation of our workforce will surely be a key factor in the industry’s success, and properly informing the youth and presenting them with opportunities to grasp will serve as the right step towards positively shaping the sector. We are really looking forward to partnering with an internationally renowned conference such as Breakbulk Middle East to inform and encourage our students to consider breakbulk as a career option. Through our collaboration with the event, we look forward to reinforcing the country’s vision to stay on the lead, not only in the breakbulk sector, but across all other industries as well.”

Ben Blamire, Event Director, Breakbulk Middle East said: “The participation of so many educational institutions and maritime academies demonstrates how important Breakbulk Middle East Education Day is for the future growth of the industry. Our approach is practical and effective, connecting students with industry leaders who represent real career opportunities.”

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