The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference 2022, which took place on November 16th at The Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, was marked by a broad consensus that prospects for the tanker shipping sector are as optimistic as they have been for many years. There was agreement amongst the high level speakers that TMS assembled for the event that tanker market fundamentals have greatly improved and, together with geopolitical events, are driving a significant and sustained rise in freight rates which seems likely to continue. Tonne-miles demand continues to grow as a result of the dislocation of Russian oil shipments, even if overall demand is down, and tanker newbuilding levels are at an all-time low.

The 2022 TMS Tanker Conference, which featured a packed programme of expert presentations and lively panel discussions, was structured around the theme “Reshaping the Market – Tanker Shipping Post-pandemic.” Indeed, despite the overall optimism, speakers agreed there are still a host of challenges as tanker shipping tries to chart course back from the pandemic which has left an indelible impact on economies and societies around the world and which will shape the future of shipping in all sectors, including tankers, for some time to come.

Opening the conference, TMS Editor, Clive Woodbridge, said, “Despite the return of some good times for tanker owners and operators, there is much more uncertainty and volatility in markets than everyone would like. Unpredictability makes everyone nervous. Nonetheless, despite what the world has been through over the past few years, the outlook for tanker shipping is really optimistic and this conference is timely as it represents a chance to discuss and help formulate strategies that can capitalise on these positive trends and deliver a sustained return to stability and profitability – as well as a reduced impact on environmental issues.”

The opening session, on ‘Recalibrating tanker shipping after the pandemic’ was led off by a keynote speech from Capt. Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC Logistics and Services. Other speakers in this all-important session, which set the tone for the day-long proceedings, included Dr. Ibrahim Al Nadhairi, CEO of ASYAD Shipping & Drydock Services; Essam Khoori, Executive Director, DP World; Nikos Michas, Global Tanker Segment Director, Lloyd’s Register; Navin Kumar, Director Maritime Research, Drewry Shipping Consultants; and Friedrich Portner, Chief Commercial Officer, Maritime Cluster, AD Ports Group. Key themes highlighted included the likely sustained nature of the increase in tonne-miles demand; newbuilding constraints; the need for infrastructure investment to support a transition to alternative fuels; the implications of slow steaming as an industry strategy; and the impact of IMO environmental regulations.

Session 2, chaired by Nijoe Joseph, Partner, Stephenson Harwood, looked at how tanker shipping is facing up to environmental challenges. A lively and wide ranging session featured papers from Pawan Sahni, Business Development Director, DNV; Simon Bonnet, Chief Maritime Officer, IRI/The Marshall Islands Registry; Anders Ostergaard, Group CEO, Monjasa; Chris Peters, CEO, Tristar Maritime Logistics; Rajiv Agarwal, Operating Partner (Infrastructure) Essar & Managing Director, Essar Ports; and Franck Kayser, Chief Operating Officer of ASYAD Shipping Company. They were joined as a panellist by Amir Mosadeghi, CEO, Islamic P&I Club. One of the key conclusions of this group was that there was no ‘one size fits all’ alternative fuel choice and that there was likely to be a broad divergence according to the vessel type and size and trade lane.

The final session kept attendees in their seats to the end, with a wide ranging session on support services and how they can help shape the future of tanker shipping. Moderated by Ali Shehab, Global Director of Special Projects and Services, DNV, panellists included Meera Kumar, President and CEO of Diablo Global; Katherine Yakunchenkova, General Manager, Al Safina Security; Jamil Al Ali, Head of Regional and Commercial Development, Middle East, Bureau Veritas; Vishavdeep Gautam, CEO, Fast Freight DMCC and Ramee Rashid, Director, Seamaster Maritime.

Clive Woodbridge concluded: “It was a really stimulating and thought provoking conference that was very upbeat in its assessment of the market. The next 12 months are certain to be interesting for tanker shipping, with plenty of twists and turns, but there seems little chance of any significant deterioration in what is a very positive scenario right now.”

For more information about the conference and how to register please go to: www.tmstankerconference.com

The seventh annual The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference takes place on 16th November at the Atlantis, the Palm, Dubai. A high quality, topical and thought-provoking program has been put together that reflects the extraordinary circumstances facing tanker shipping after two years of pandemic, and now some unprecedented geo-political shockwaves.

As part of a packed one day conference, a focus on support services and new technology will shape Session 3 in the afternoon, ensuring the event ends on a high note. Clive Woodbridge, Conference Editor, says, “Tanker shipping is at the vanguard of the race to embrace new technology, and especially digitalisation, to create a sound foundation for the future. We have seen over the course of the pandemic that digital tools have been employed extensively and as a result there has been a permanent change in the operational basis of the sector. So, there will be plenty to discuss in this fascinating third session.”

Topics proposed for inclusion include: Refining technology to support remote surveys and inspections; the use of AI and blockchain solutions; protecting against cyber-attack threats; enhancing the post pandemic role of ship agency; and the development of alternative fuels for the tankers of the future. Tanker safety will also feature, as will updates on scrubber and ballast water treatment retrofits.

Confirmed speakers in the afternoon Session 3, which is sure to keep attendees engaged right to the end of the conference, include: Meera Kumar, President and CEO of Diabos Global; Katherine Yakunchenkova, General Manager, Al Safina Security; Jamil Al Ali, Regional Commercial & Business Development for the Middle East Region, Bureau Veritas; Saleem Kadernani, Vice President, Commercial, Middle East, Inchcape Shipping; Vishavdeep Gautam, CEO, Fast Freight and Ramee Rashid, Director, Seamaster Maritime

Clive adds, “The pace of innovation and change continues to accelerate, as tanker owners and operators seek ways of overcoming operational and climate changes challenges, as well as of operating more safely and securely. This is a session that is certain to keep people engaged right to the end as it will be packed with fresh, innovative new ideas.”

For more information about the conference and how to register please go to: www.tmstankerconference.com

The seventh annual The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference takes place on 16th November at the Atlantis, the Palm, Dubai. A stimulating and thought-provoking program is rapidly taking shape that reflects the extraordinary circumstances facing tanker shipping after two years of pandemic, and now unprecedented geo-political shockwaves.

In addition, tanker operators face the ongoing challenge of gearing their fleets to meet tough new environmental regulations and the drive to decarbonise operations. This will be the focus on an exciting Session 2, with the theme of “Tanker Shipping Facing up to Environmental Challenges.”

Clive Woodbridge, Conference Editor, says, “Tanker shipping is having to reassess all aspects of its operations and the technology deployed on its vessels to meet challenging new environmental targets. The journey to carbon neutral will be challenging, but opens up a host of opportunities, which is why we have placed this topic so high on this year’s agenda.”

Topics proposed for inclusion in this session include a discussion about EEXI and CII regulations and their impact on tanker shipping; dual fuel operations; LNG fuel retrofits; the role of classification societies and flag stages in keeping tanker environmentally compliant; and developing environmentally friendly fuel bunker networks.

To date speakers confirmed for Session 2, which will be chaired by Nijoe Joseph of Stephenson Harwood, include: Simon Bonnett, Chief Maritime Officer, International Registries (UK) Limited; Anders Ostergaard, Group CEO, Monjasa; Chris Peters, CEO, Tristar Maritime Logistics; Rajeev Agarwal, CEO & MD, Essar Ports; Emad AlHumam, Senior Vice President Corporate services, International Maritime Industries; Franck J Kayser, COO, Asyad Shipping Company; Pawan Sahni, Business Development Director, Middle East and Africa, DNV; and Amir Mosadeghi, CEO, Islamic P&I Club.

Clive adds, “There are a host of key issues that tanker owners and operators need to address in the environmental compliance space. Matching services to the evolving needs of the tanker shipping business in this context will be a key challenge and this session will give some important pointers as to the way forward.”

For more information about the conference and how to register please go to: www.tmstankerconference.com

The seventh annual The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference takes place on 16th November at the Atlantis, the Palm, Dubai. A stimulating and thought-provoking program is rapidly taking shape that reflects the fact that this is a pivotal time for the tanker sector, as it not only emerges from the pandemic, but as other geopolitical challenges arise with uncertain consequences.

Many aspects of the business have been changed forever by two years of lockdowns and disruption to economic activity and trade. Now the world is wrestling with the impact of the conflict in Ukraine and what that means for the global economy as well as the specific patterns of oil and gas trades. In addition, tanker operators face the ongoing challenge of gearing their fleets to meet tough new environmental regulations in force now and in decades to come, and the drive to decarbonise operations.

One of the highlights of the TMS Tanker Conference is sure to be the opening Session 1 which has the theme ‘Tanker trades – recalibrating after the pandemic.’ Clive Woodbridge, Conference Editor, says, “The first main session in the morning sets the tone for what is going to be a really informative and energising day. After two difficult years caused by economic and trade upheavals during the pandemic, there remains a lot of uncertainty about the short and longer term outlook for tankers. We have been able to gather together a really top class set of speakers for the opening session who will get proceedings off to a strong, thought-provoking start with a series of presentations certain to trigger plenty of discussion and debate.”

Assessing the likely supply and demand balance will be a key task for Session 1 panellists, who will also assess changes to regional oil and petrochemical trade flows as well as likely tanker fleet growth projections. Other topics in this session include the effects of climate change actions on tanker shipping; the importance of scrapping older tonnage; the impact of digitalisation and the specific prospects of the gas carrier trades. Speakers will look at markets both from a global perspective and also at the specific characteristics of the Middle East and Subcontinent trades.

To date speakers confirmed for the main Session 1 include: Capt. Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO ADNOC Logistics & Services; Dr Ibrahim Al Nadhairi, CEO of ASYAD Shipping and Drydock Services; Esam Khoori, Executive Director, Container Terminals, DP World UAE; Capt. Ammar Al Shaiba, Acting CEO – Maritime Cluster and Safeen Group, AD Ports; Nikos Michas, Global Tanker Segment Director, Lloyd’s Register; Petros Doukas, Mayor of Sparta, President of Capital Partners and former Deputy Minister of finance & foreign affairs, Greece; Navin Kumar, Director Maritime Research, Drewry Shipping Consultants.

Clive adds, “We have speakers who can provide a macro economic background, and who can analyse in detail the key market trends, as well as executives at the front line in the ports, shipping and shipyard business sectors who can present a real-life assessment of how the market is evolving post-pandemic.

For more information about the conference and how to register please go to: www.tmstankerconference.com

A host of top quality speakers have been lined up for the seventh annual The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference, which this year takes place on 16th November at the Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai. Confirmed speakers include executives from leading tanker operators, finance companies, ports and terminals, classification societies and both technical and operational service providers based not only across the region but globally as well.

Conference Chairman & Editor, Clive Woodbridge, says, “The tanker market is beset with great uncertainty and fears of sustained volatility at the present time. The speakers we have been fortunate enough to secure will shine a light on this complex and hazy market scenario and will as a result bring greater clarity to those attending as to future prospects.”

Proceedings will start with keynote addresses and will be followed by the highlight speakers in Session 1. Those confirmed for this all-important session, which will set the tone for proceedings, include Capt. Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of ADNOC L&S; Dr Ibrahim Al Nadhairi, CEO of ASYAD Shipping and Drydock Services; Mr Esam Khoori, Executive Director, Container Terminals, DP World UAE; Capt. Ammar Al Shaiba, Acting CEO- Maritime Cluster and Safeen Group, Abu Dhabi Ports; Nikos Michas, Global Tanker Segment Director, Lloyd’s Register; Petros Doukas, Mayor of Sparta and President, Capital Partners; Navin Kumar, Director, Maritime Research, Drewry Shipping Consultants. 

Thereafter, confirmed speakers for Session 2 will be chaired by Nijoe Joseph of Stephenson Harwood and will feature Pawan Sahni, Business Development Director, Middle East and Africa, DNV; Simon Bonnett, Chief Maritime Officer, International Registries; Anders Ostergaard, Group CEO, Monjasa; Chris Peters, CEO, Tristar Maritime Logistics; Amir Mosadeghi, CEO, Islamic P&I club; Rajiv Agarwal, CEO & MD, Essar Ports; Emad AlHumam, Senior Vice President- Corporate Services and Franck J Kayser, COO, ASYAD Shipping.

Other confirmed speakers in the afternoon session, which is sure to keep attendees engaged right to the end of the conference, which will be chaired by Ali Shehab of DNV, include Meera Kumar, President and CEO of Diabos Global; Jonathan Hudson, Market Leader, Tanker Owners, Bureau Veritas; Katherine Yakunchenkova, General Manager, Al Safina Security; Vishavdeep Gautam, CEO, Fast Freight; Saleem Kadernani, Vice President, Commercial, Middle East, Inchcape Shipping; Ramee Rashid, Director, Seamaster Maritime.

For details on the speakers and conference program please visit: www.tmstankerconference.com

The second annual The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference, which takes place on Tuesday 24th October at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai, has assembled some of the leading names in the industry to speak at the event. Collectively they will address the top issues facing tanker owners and operators today, making this a must-attend occasion for anyone involved in the oil, products and chemical tanker business.

4th September, Dubai, UAE: Cybercrime is a matter of growing international concern within the tanker shipping sector and The Maritime Standard has responded by making this a key topic for this year’s event. Trevor Pereira, managing director, says, “We have received phenomenal support from the shipping industry for this conference, including the backing of the world’s biggest shipping organisation, BIMCO. One of the highlights of the day is sure to be the presentation by Phil Tinsley, BIMCO’s maritime security manager. This will be an informative session and a timely reminder that cyber security should be on everyone’s agenda.”

Mr. Tinsley will illustrate the potential threats from cyber incidents and give advice about how to mitigate those risks through awareness and training. BIMCO’s recently updated industry guidelines will be explained, and attendees will be given an insight into future regulations which will require action by the industry from 2021 onwards, as part of ships’ Safety Management Systems.

Mr. Tinsley says, “The recent NotPetya ransomware attack and the spoofing of GPS signals in the Black Sea illustrate cybercrime is on the increase in all sectors of the maritime industry. Companies need to be aware of how to handle phishing emails, and to have policies in place to ensure operational and information technologies are separated on board.”

The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference will also feature some of the most high profile and respected names within the region’s tanker and petrochemicals business. The keynote speech will be given by H.E. Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al Sabah, chief executive of the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), who will reveal plans to expand and upgrade its tanker fleet, as well as initiatives to protect the environment.

Other confirmed speakers at The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference include: H.E. Eduardo Fonseca Ward, Ambassador, Republic of Panama; Ali Shehab, Deputy CEO, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company; Chris Peters, Chief Executive, Emirates Ship Investment Company; Sanjay Mehta, Chairman, S One Capital; Gaurav Moolwaney, Executive Director, Standard Chartered Bank; Petros Doukas, Former Deputy Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs, Greece; Tarik Al Junaidi, Chief Executive, Oman Shipping Company; and Omar Abu Omar, President, Maritime & Operations, Gulf Navigation Holding. They will be joined by experts in specific operational sectors, such as ship management, communications, ship repair, classification and security, with Captain Patnaik, Director and CEO, International Shipping and Logistics; Roger Harfouch, Regional Director, Marlink Communications; Dr. Ruanthi De Silva, Chief Executive, SCM Plus; Thomas Kriwat, CEO, Mercmarine Group; Lakshmi Janarthanan, Commercial Director, Drydocks World Dubai; Ralph Becker, Regional Business Development Manager, DNV GL; and Katherine Yakunchenkova, General Manager, Al Safina Security, all confirmed to speak.

Trevor Pereira adds, “This is quite simply the finest assembly of the best known names in the region’s tanker trade and related industries. We hope to add a few more high profile speakers in the next few weeks, so watch this space!”

The quality of The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference has also won the support of several leading organisations as sponsors and supporters. Alongside BIMCO, these include the Dubai Council for Marine and Maritime Industries (DCMMI); the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST); the Organisation of Islamic Shipowners Association (OISA), the Nautical Institute; The Indian National Ship Owners’ Association (INSA); The Ceylon Association of Shipping Agents (CASA); The Mission to Seafarers; Pakistan Ship Agent’s Association (PSAA) and the Women in Shipping and Transport Association (WISTA).

The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference takes place the day after the 4th annual Maritime Standard Awards, which are being held at The Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai on Monday 23rd October 2017. This is a glittering event attended by over 750 senior executives and industry leaders not just from across the region, but worldwide also. Many of these figures have committed to stay on and attend the Tanker Conference, creating unrivalled networking opportunities for those attending.

For more information about the Tanker Conference please go to www.tmstankerconference.com
For more information about The Maritime Standard Awards please go to www.tmsawards.com

Press Release

The Maritime Standard, the leading events, awards and publishing company, is gearing up for a busy few months with action in all sections. Towards the end of June, the first The Maritime Standard UAE Yearbook 2016/17 will be published, with reviews of activity in ports, shipping shipyards, maritime law, classification and other sectors of the maritime business in the UAE. Trevor Pereira, managing director, “This will be an invaluable publication that will have relevance year round. It will have a circulation of over 5000 and we are taking it to SMM, Hamburg in September. So those covered and supporting advertisers will get international as well as local exposure.”

Nominations have also recently opened for this year’s The Maritime Standard Awards. Mr. Pereira adds, “If you don’t nominate you don’t stand a chance to win; so get your nominations in by the deadline date at the end of August.” This year there are a total of 21 commercial categories to nominate for, and the winners will be announced at a Gala dinner at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, on 24th October. An elite judging panel, chaired by The Maritime Standard Editor, Clive Woodbridge, has been announced and there are very few categories available left for sponsorship. Those interested in the opportunities that remain should email sponsorship@tmsawards.com

The day after The Maritime Standard Awards, the company is hosting a high level tanker conference in Dubai on October 25th. A niche event for the tanker trade, it has been confirmed that KOTC chief executive officer, H.E. Sheikh Talal Al Khaled Al Sabah, will be the keynote speaker. Full details of conference programme and networking opportunities will be up on The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference website shortly.

Then to wrap up a busy six months for The Maritime Standard, the second annual The Maritime Standard Ship Finance and Trade conference will take place on 14 November at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi. The website is up and running at www.tms-shipfinanceandtrade.com and the programme is being developed, with details being revealed over the next few weeks. Chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Ports, Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, is confirmed as key note speaker.

Trevor Pereira concludes, “We are very excited about the programme we have for the second half of this year. The programme that is put together is really unique and I am sure will help raise the profile of the maritime industries in this part of the world.”

Press Release

The Maritime Standard (TMS) celebrated a number of exciting new initiatives at a special networking reception held on a specially chartered yacht at Dubai Marina Yacht Club on May 3rd.

The evening event was attended by over 100 of the region’s top maritime business figures, including Former ADNATCO-NGSCO chief executive, H.E. Dr. Ali Obaid Al Yabhouni, Abdulkareem Al Masabi, chairman, Abu Dhabi Terminals, Ali Al Shehab, deputy chief executive of Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) and many other senior decision makers, from the worlds of shipping, ports, finance and law, besides others. They took advantage of the opportunity to network in a laid-back, informal setting while sailing in the Dubai lagoon.

The business part of the event was kicked off by Clive Woodbridge, editor of The Maritime Standard, who was able to update guests on the progress made by the newsletter over the past year, which now has a circulation of more than 30,000. He said, “We are grateful for the support the industry in this part of the world has given the TMS newsletter. The feedback we get regularly indicates it is a welcome source of information.”

Clive also revealed an exciting new event, the first The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference, which will take place in Dubai on Tuesday, October 25th 2016. Clive said, “The tanker market is one that is full of interesting challenges and opportunities at the moment right across the region. This new one day conference will bring together some of the foremost figures in the tanker shipping business and related fields to highlight what steps are needed to take full opportunity of such positive trends.” Clive then confirmed that the second annual Ship Finance and Trade conference will return to Abu Dhabi, taking place at the Sheraton Towers Hotel on Monday, November 14th 2016.

Clive further announced the first The Maritime Standard magazine, The Maritime Standard UAE Yearbook 2016/2017, which will include articles reviewing recent activities and future plans of the region’s port, shipping, shipbuilding and repair, maritime technology, law, insurance and other sectors. He added: “This is a publication that will be a reference book for the 2016-17 financial year and will have a long shelf life. It will be the definitive guide to what is going on in the region and will be a publication that will be referred to again and again.”

TMS managing director, Trevor Pereira, then officially welcomed attendees to the network evening, and shared the latest news about The Maritime Standard Awards, which will return to the Atlantis, The Palm, for a third year in a row on Monday 24th October 2016. “I promise you that in line with 2014 and 2015 it is going to be one big night of celebration and acknowledgement. We have 29 Awards representing quite literally every trade in Shipping and Maritime,” he said.

Trevor then revealed the TMS Awards Judges Panel. New additions this year include Mohamed Ali Ahmed, COO from DP World; Abdulrahman Essa Al Mannai, President and CEO from MILAHA; Abdulkareem Al Masabi, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Terminals; Capt. B.B. Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director from The Shipping Corporation of India; Koichi Murata, Regional Manager from ClassNK; Ali Al Shehab, Deputy Chief Executive officer from KOTC and Capt. Brian Course, quality and compliance manager from BAHRI.

The evening was rounded off by some excellent food. Trevor concluded, “We have been taken back by the success of this networking event. The fact that so many top level people attended shows clearly there is a real need for opportunities like this, and we plan to repeat it again in 2017.”

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