Dubai, UAE, 14 June 2022: On the occasion of International Day for Women in Maritime, the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) participated in a virtual roundtable that highlighted the role of women in enhancing the capabilities of the regional and global maritime industry, and the opportunities for them in the sector. Titled Women In Maritime: Preserving A Legacy Of Resilience Towards Achieving A Barrier-Free Working Environment, the roundtable was organised by IMOGENder NETWORK, AWIMA. In line with the United Nations’ (UN) 5th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), Gender Equality, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) established 18th May as International Day for Women in Maritime to celebrate the role of women in the industry, promote their recruitment, retention, and sustained employment and raise their profile in the sector.

 

Speaking during the roundtable, H.E. Eng. Hessa Al Malek, Advisor to the Minister for Maritime Transport Affairs, MOEI said: “Women are an integral part of the maritime industry. Their contribution has enabled the sector to grow globally. In the UAE itself, women have truly helped the UAE’s maritime sector increase its competitiveness. We are currently ranked 3rd globally in Bunker Supply Index as well as Transport Services Trade, and 5th worldwide as a key competitive maritime hub. Our female professionals have played a massive role in building this reputation for the nation and cementing its position as a leading global maritime hub. Our aim now is to continue fuelling this progress by consistently increasing female participation.”

 

 

H.E. Eng. Essam M. Alammari, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the International Maritime Organisation commented: “Over the years, the maritime industry has evolved rapidly in the recent past. With the kind of advanced digital solutions being adopted nowadays in addition to automated systems, there has been a spike in the need for competent professionals, irrespective of their gender. We need such professionals to catalyse the progress of the industry through efficient operations. Hence, we have seen a significant increase in women’s participation in the industry, despite that, a lot more needs to be done to bridge the gender gap in the sector.”

 

Moderated by Effat Mostafa, Executive Director, Tactics Marketing Management and Managing Editor of Marasi News, the roundtable highlighted the skills, both hard and soft, that are critical to ascend the career ladder in corporate and government environments, and those for succeeding as an entrepreneur. Through its insightful discussions, it also reinforced the idea of leading by example aiming to maximise the impact of the qualified ‘Women of Caliber’ to the industry.