Dubai launches “Maritime Centre” at Posidonia 2008

The world’s biggest maritime industry event being held at the Hellenikon Exhibition Centre in Athens, Greece, from June 2-6, 2008 – was the launch pad for Maritime Centre, the business capital of Dubai Maritime City.

Dubai Maritime City is the world’s first purpose-built maritime centre under development in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai Maritime City is spread over a massive 2.27 million square meters of reclaimed land with a primary focus on corporate maritime but also covering every aspect of industrial commercial and leisure requirements of the maritime fraternity. Its capital, the Maritime Centre, which will be the heart of this man-made peninsula will use its strategic location, Dubai’s famed lifestyle, infrastructure developments and world-renowned financial clout to influence investors and maritime entrepreneurs to look at Dubai as home. Sitting at the tip of the peninsula, the Maritime Centre is the focal point of Dubai Maritime City, serving as the universal capital for all maritime businesses. Designed as an urban corporate park, the Maritime Centre is the first exclusive maritime cluster in the world, offering the choicest business amenities including a 5-star business hotel and premium serviced apartments. The city is divided into six clusters – The Marina District, Industrial Precinct, Dubai Maritime City Campus, The Maritime Centre, Harbour Offices and Harbour Residences – all designed to encourage a community lifestyle, landscaping and infrastructure to balance working and living conditions of Dubai Maritime City citizens across office, residential, retail, recreational and leisure purposes. Offering world-class infrastructure, services and regulations, Dubai Maritime City will create a unique specialized environment that promotes the networking and integration of leading maritime companies in one destination.
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Asia to the fore at Posidonia

Immigration officials have not seen so many Asians filing through Athens airport since the 2004 Olympics were held here.

Moreover, it might have something to do with the fact that Greece has more than a thousand ships on order. The record Asian turnout at Posidonia 2008 features more than 300 exhibitors. China has the strongest showing with more than 100 stands. Latest figures show that Greeks have 440 ships on order in China, second only to Korea. On Tuesday afternoon a special presentation and reception will be held at the Divani Apollon Palace on doing business with the Chinese. They are here not just for the yards, but the forthcoming privatization of Greek ports. The Koreans have come in big numbers too with some of the most impressive stands as befits the world's largest shipbuilding nation. Meanwhile, the Japanese also have arrived en masse keen to add to the more than 100 vessels on order from Greece at the moment. The Japan Ship Exporters' Association hosts its regular Posidonia reception at the Inter-Continental this Wednesday.

Sinotrans, Changjiang Shipping plan merge

China National Foreign Trade Transportation Corp (Sinotrans) and China Changjiang National Shipping Corp plan to merge into China's second-largest shipping logistics firm.

Sinotrans Group, parent of Sinotrans, Sinotrans Ship and Sinotrans Development, and Changjiang Shipping, the parent of Nanjing Tanker and Changjiang Phoenix, have submitted a merger proposal to the state asset regulator. Sinotrans Group will take the lead in the merger, which will not involve any equity in the listed units of the two group companies.

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Jiangsu Dafeng port inaugurates container service to Busan

Dafeng port in Jiangsu province, China, has inaugurated a new container service to South Korea's Busan.

It is the second international service of the port following the Incheon service. Ports of Dafeng and Busan signed a strategic cooperation agreement earlier this year, which says Dafeng will be the feeder port of Busan, and Busan will support South Korean shipping companies to launch feeder services from Dafeng port. Dafeng port was open for foreign vessels on September 20 last year with the launching of an international container service to South Korea's Incheon. Dafeng port also launched a feeder service to Shanghai port on April 28 this year, which will help to boost the total throughput of Dafeng port to one million tonnes and 20,000TEU this year.

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