HEARD AT BREAKBULK MIDDLE EAST
Talking Diversity in the Middle East Women in breakbulk took to the stage in Dubai at Breakbulk Middle East to share their experiences, and to collectively encourage greater diversity in the industry’s workforce. Panelist HE Hessa Ahmed Al Malek told the audience that she knew nothing about the maritime sector when she joined six years ago. An architect by trade, she saw an opportunity in the maritime sector in the UAE and asked to be assigned to it. The initial assignment should have been for six months, but six years later she holds the rank of executive director of the UAE Federal Transport Authority – Land & Maritime. “When I joined the maritime sector, everything was new to me – and the sector was 100 percent male dominated. The power of female is that we think differently to males, we see different angles that they don’t see, and we make it interesting,” she said. Sue Donoghue, managing director – DHL Global Forwarding in Saudi Arabia and project director for DHL Global Forwarding in industrial projects, noted that there are more opportunities open to women in
Breakbulk Middle East Sessions Women in Breakbulk Breakfast The speed networking and panel discussion was supported by WISTA Arabia, AWIMA and Women in Maritime Recap Video: https://youtu.be/-ZQerQsDxSA Speaker Video: Sue Donoghue, managing director; project director, DHL Global Forwarding – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; DHL Global Forwarding – Industrial Projects https://youtu.be/ayENaNog1KY
breakbulk today – but “you have to take them.” Donoghue praised her management team in the region who supported her to succeed. Jasmin Fichte, managing partner of Fichte & Co and president of WISTA Arabia UAE, encouraged more women in breakbulk to speak up to bosses. The attitude of waiting to be heard or seen “does not work.”
“Ladies have an attitude that if I work hard my boss will see me – why should he? Find your network, find your mentor and go for it,” she said. Breakbulk Middle East partnered with WISTA Arabia and the Arab Women in Maritime Association (AWIMA) for the Women in Breakbulk session at the event. BB
Rail Will Be an Important Middle East Mode Planned rail connections throughout the UAE and across borders into the wider Middle East region will offer an important extra mode for breakbulk and project cargo movers. Speaking at Breakbulk Middle East, Kim Larsen, vice president commercial and business development at Abu Dhabi Ports, explained that building rail infrastructure is a “very important step forward for the country.” It provides a complementary service to those already offered by ports in the region, and will open up the hinterland for UAE ports, he said. “This is a step in the right direction.” Abu Dhabi Ports, or ADP, has signed an agreement with Etihad 54 BREAKBULK MAGAZINE www.breakbulk.com
Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway, to connect ADP’s Khalifa Port with the national railway network. Rail terminal capacity at Khalifa Port is expected to be the largest of its kind within the UAE, accommodating 2.4 million containers per year. “For the UAE it is crucial that there is a connecting point between inland logistics and transshipment opportunities from the region,” he said. “We are moving more towards end-to-end solutions for customers for all cargo types.” Meanwhile, while oil is still the prime cargo source in the Middle East region, ports are preparing for a shift in cargo priorities as countries
reduce their dependency on oil incomes. Erwin Mortelmans, commercial director for Port of Duqm, said he did not expect traditional industries to disappear overnight, but he did expect the future to “look completely different.” BB Breakbulk Middle East Sessions Topic: Innovation Sustains Success Today and Tomorrow at Abu Dhabi Ports Speaker Video: Kim Larsen VP Commercial & Business Development, Abu Dhabi Ports https://youtu.be/IjEy7kwynoM
ISSUE 3 / 2020