Conference Programme 2020

Event Overview

The fifth annual The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 24th November at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE. The conference will be a little different this year, as a ‘hybrid’ event, with some speakers and attendees taking part in person in Dubai, and others joining online, using webinar systems, from around the region and indeed the world.

The first four events have been extremely successful in raising the profile of the tanker shipping business, both regionally and globally, and this is expected to do the same. Now well established as one of the leading events on the tanker shipping calendar, the Conference is aimed at key decision makers and high-level policy takers within this sector of the shipping industry. This year’s event takes place at a time of considerable uncertainty and volatility following the pandemic. The impact on tanker shipping has been substantial, as have been the knock-on effects of the global economic crash. Simmering political disputes, and increased use of trade sanctions, have also shaped tanker demand in a way that would have been hard to predict even a short time ago. Tanker shipping will clearly feel the impact of recent events for some time to come. But there are market analysts who remain positive and suggest that ultimately the 2020s will be a decade of growth for the tanker shipping business.

There are other issues of importance as well. The global battle against climate change has ushered in tough new rules and regulations which will continue to impact and challenge tanker shipping. And the era of digitalisation and big data, as well as technical innovations such as 3D printing, offer the chance to lower operational costs for tanker shipping quite considerably.

The 2020 Conference will inevitably focus on the impact of Covid-19 on tanker shipping and will look at how it is affecting the crude, products, chemicals, and gas tanker markets. The event will also analyse and assess other influential market factors over the short, medium and long term, giving attendees a unique and privileged insight into where tankers markets are now, and where they are likely to be heading. While tanker ship owning and operating will be a primary focus, the event will also assess related support sectors, such as classification, bunker supply, law, ship agency and supplies, ship technology, logistics and terminal handling and storage. The conference is a must-attend, not only for tanker owners and operators, but all companies that provide products and services to this sector of the shipping industry. The intention is that attendees will leave the TMS Tanker Conference with a much clearer idea not just about the effects of the pandemic on tanker shipping and trades, but about likely longer term trade patterns over the coming decade, underlying political and economic influences and key regulatory and technical developments. As a result, attendees will be well placed to take decisions that will facilitate longer term business growth.

Tuesday 24th November 2020

Conference Programme Outline

08:30

Registration and refreshments

10:00

Welcome by

Clive Woodbridge
Editor, The Maritime Standard

10:05

Inaugural Address by

Trevor Pereira
Managing Director, The Maritime Standard

10:10

Keynote Address

H.E. Eng. Ahmed Mohammed Shareef Ali Al Khoori,
Director General,
FTA

Capt. Abdulkareem Al Masabi,
CEO,
ADNOC Logistics and Services

Mr. Shehab Al Rahma,
Manager- Oil Terminal,
DP World

10:50

Session 1: Tanker trades – assessing the longer-term picture in the new normal

Unexpected shocks – what lessons can be learned from the impact of coronavirus on tanker shipping?
What will be the primary effects of Covid-19 on global tanker shipping and trades in the short, medium, and long term
How have the chemical trades been impacted and what does the future hold?
Climate change actions – what will be the impact on tanker shipping of global governmental environment initiatives?
Do opportunities for growth and development in the Middle East and Subcontinent region’s tanker trades still exist in the 2020s?
“All about politics” – are trade wars and sanctions a permanent reality for tanker owners and operators?
Seafarer issues – how is tanker shipping responding?

Session chair:

Clive Woodbridge, Editor, The Maritime Standard

Speakers:

Mr. Ali Shehab
CEO,
Kuwait Oil Tanker Company

Mrs. H.K. Joshi
Chairperson & MD,
The Shipping Corporation of India

Mr. Khamis Juma Buamim
Chairman,
KBI- UAE

Mr. Khalid Alhammad
Director Fleet Management,
Bahri Ship Management

Mr. Ibrahim Al Nadhairi
Acting CEO,
Oman Shipping Company & Oman Drydocks Company

Mr. Petros Doukas
Mayor,
Sparta

Mr. Jesper Kjaedegaard
Senior Advisor- Board Member,
Marcura Group

Mr. Chris Peters
CEO,
Emirates Ship Investment Company LLC

12:30

Panel Discussion/ Q&A Session

12:45

Lunch

13:45

Session 2: Creating support structures and services to support long term market growth and development

How can Big Data and digitalisation drive improved tanker market development?
Enhancing oil terminal handling and storage to keep pace with evolving requirements
Bunker requirements in the 2020s – what next steps are needed?
The role of the OSV sector in supporting tanker shipping
Developing smart ship management and chartering services
Maritime training and education – investing in human capital
The role of maritime law services
Are retrofit services the pathway to environmental compliance
Integrating tanker shipping with wider logistics services

Session chair:

Mr. Jesper Kjaedegaard, Senior Advisor- Board Member, Marcura Group

Speakers:

Capt. Mohamed Al Ali
Senior Vice President, Ship Management
ADNOC Logistics & Services

Mr. Fazel A. Fazelbhoy
CEO,
Synoff Synergy Offshore FZ LLE

Mr. Hans-Christian Mordhorst
COO,
Marcura Group

Mr. Andrew Baird
Partner,
WFW

15:15

Panel discussion/ Q&A Session

15:30

Refreshment Break

15:45

Session 3 – Embracing technical, legal and regulatory challenges:

Scrubbers – will impact of oil price crash be permanent or temporary
Can drones and other new digital technology permanently change tanker inspections?
The ship repair and drydocking needs of the future.
Designing and building green tankers
How has digitalisation been accelerated in tanker shipping post-pandemic
Developing alternative fuels and propulsion systems for the tankers of the future
Ensuring tanker safety in the post pandemic era
The evolving role of ship agency.
IMO 2030 – the regulatory compliance challenges ahead

Session chair: