Cargo, breakbulk industry to stay major contributor to UAE economy, says Al Mazrouei

Cargo and breakbulk sector is considered one of the most promising sectors in the UAE and will remain a major contributor to the country’s economy, said Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.

He said the sector will indeed witness an uptick in business and the post-Covid-19 era will be marked by strong rebound mainly due to a range a timely measures, strong fundamentals, investments in AI technology and financial incentives.

“In the UAE, we always aim to ensure that we provide the best ports and shipping infrastructure to remain in the top quartile of this industry. Two of our ports were placed among the world’s top 50 container ports. The UAE ports handle more than 12 million containers and receives more than 21,000 vessels annually,” Al Mazrouei said during opening address of the Breakbulk Middle East.

He said there was a demand shock during the pandemic, caused by the lockdown and travel restrictions in many parts of the world. However industry returned gradually by embracing technology and utilized efficient supply chain operations.

“We work as one team, supporting our frontline heroes in an improving health and safety regulations to cope up with the pandemic and at the same time ensure a sustainable supply to different regions. Our flexibility and willingness to respond emergencies throughout years is the primary reasons that the industry didn’t’ face a major downturn,” he added.

— waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com