Doha, Qatar, 3rd February 2025: A senior gathering of industry personalities has set the scene for the coming two days of Seatrade Maritime Qatar taking place at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel, Doha, Qatar until 5th February 2025.

This is the first shipping round table of its kind in Qatar under the umbrella of the Seatrade Maritime Club Round Table – a successful initiative that precedes Seatrade Maritime events and allows stakeholders to discuss topical discussion points in a closed-door environment before sharing further in the Seatrade Maritime Qatar conference agenda.

The first part of the Seatrade Maritime Club Round Table was moderated by Adam Kent, Managing Director, Maritime Strategies International, who spoke to Trade Disruption in 2025.

The roundtable participants explored the practical impacts of readjusting shipping routes, and the lessons that can be applied from other black swan events. Participants further discussed broader geopolitical trends through the lens of Middle East shipping and logistics.

Taking the mantle for the second part, Danial Kaabi, CEO, Sea Horizon Offshore Marine Services discussed ‘Future proofing the talent pipeline’.

Acknowledging that developing a large pool of skilled seafarers is a challenge facing many maritime nations, but holds the opportunity to train a workforce prepared for the demands of a digitalised, multi-fuel future for shipping, the discussion was lively and a lot of insight was shared.

The round table is the latest in a series which has seen gatherings take place in Saudi Arabia; Dubai; the Philippines and London and offers up a frank and open discussion about challenges facing the maritime and logistics industries in each geography as well as on the global platform.

The round table was the precursor to two days of conference agenda at Seatrade Maritime Qatar which on Day One saw discussions centred around Shipping Safely & Sustainably – a session which delivers an overview of Qatar's ambitious plans for its maritime sector, their pivotal impact on the global shipping industry and contribution to achieving the state’s National Vision 2030 goals.

A second session ‘Maritime energy transition & the role of LNG’ features a panel discussion with focus on the maritime industry’s progress in the pursuit of transitioning to sustainable, alternative fuels. Delivered in the heart of the world’s largest LNG exporter, the session focuses on infrastructural capabilities and developments both in Qatar and globally.

Session three tackles ‘Are Smart, Greener Ports Key To Smarter, More Sustainable Logistics?’ A panel session providing insights on how smart ports and their key stakeholders, including free zones, can enhance the operations and efficiency of carriers and shippers. Are smart ports opening up new opportunities for stakeholders and how? Does a greener port lead to more sustainable logistics? How collaborative are stakeholders in addressing today’s commercial and regulatory realities?

Session four ‘Building A Local Talent Pool. How Big Is The Challenge? How Can the Talent Pipeline Be Futureproofed?’ This panel explores the size of the challenge for the maritime and offshore industries and how its stakeholders are responding. Is the maritime industry improving its appeal to local talent? How can a local talent pipeline be futureproofed? and what will the local maritime and offshore workforce look like in five years’ time?

Held under the patronage of Minister of Transport, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani – the two-day event is hosted by Ministry of Transport, Qatar and organised by Seatrade Maritime with Founding Strategic Partner, Mwani Qatar.

The event, the first of its kind in the State of Qatar, brings together key stakeholders in the maritime sector, governmental and semi-governmental entities, as well as innovators in the fields of technology, energy, finance, investment and services, in addition to the most prominent suppliers, decision-makers and shipping companies.

Seatrade Maritime Group Director, Chris Morley, said: “Our ambition is to bring the maritime & logistics world to Qatar, catalysing growth in those sectors and accelerating the momentum that has already been created, in no small part, by the partners and sponsors of this inaugural event.  Seatrade Maritime Qatar will be covering multiple key topics vital to the growth of the maritime & logistics sector from excellence in port operation through to a continued conversation on future fuels and financing the fleets of the future.”

Featuring over 40 speakers from across the region and internationally, the event is free to attend upon registration and includes exhibitors and sponsors including:   Mwani Qatar as founding strategic partner; Ooredoo as the telecom sponsor; Qatar Free Zones Authority, Milaha, and QTerminals Group as the main sponsors; Nakilat and Mawani KSA as diamond sponsors; ABS and Invest Qatar as the platinum sponsors. Gold sponsors include:  DNV, Bureau Veritas, Lloyd’s Register (LR), MSC Qatar, MEDLOG, Sea Horizon and Genesis Marine Services; Mowasalat (Karwa) is the silver sponsor and Middle East Fuji is a bronze sponsor.