Dubai Chamber of Commerce announces formation of Council for Wooden Ships

Dubai Chamber of Commerce has announced the establishment of the Dubai Council for Wooden Ships, a new business group that will support the wooden ships sector in Dubai by unifying voices of member companies.

The business group, operating as a non-profit body under the umbrella of Dubai Chamber of Commerce, will serve common interests and tackle sector challenges through cooperation with relevant authorities in the emirate.

Joined by a wide variety of businesses in this sector in Dubai, the group provides a platform for member companies to share knowledge and policy recommendations, with the aim of improving ease of doing business in sector.

During a recent meeting, H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chambers, accompanied by the Chamber’s directors and top officials, met with Hamad Ahmed bin Fahad, Chairman of the Dubai Council of Wooden Ships and the founding members, where they discussed opportunities to support the wooden ship sector, enhance the contribution of this sector to economic growth, and support the private sector.

The two sides also discussed coordinating joint efforts and set priorities for the future, key issues impacting the wooden ship sector and market demand, especially in Asia and Africa.

H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chambers, said the establishment of the Dubai Council for Wooden Ships is an important development that will support the development of the sector and offer more clarity on market trends, challenges and opportunities.

He described the first meeting with the Board of Directors of the Dubai Council for Wooden Ships as positive and constructive, and added that the Chamber would work closely with the new business group and the concerned government entities to address existing challenges and develop solutions to address them.

“Wooden merchant ships have played a key role in the economic growth of Dubai, as wooden merchant ships have been and still are the commercial artery of small and medium ports in the regional ports, the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. They are also part of the most important components of the emirate’s tourism and cultural board. It also supports the prosperity of Dubai’s foreign trade movement, which exceeded AED 5 billion via commercial wooden ships in 2020,” said Hamad Ahmed bin Fahad, Chairman of the Dubai Council of Wooden Ships.

The main objectives of the Dubai Council for Wooden Ships include enhancing Dubai’s vision towards upgrading its position as a centre for global maritime trade, supporting and providing an appropriate environment for the development of the volume of foreign trade, raising the efficiency of services related to the maritime shipping sector, enhancing commercial relations with stakeholders from the public and private sectors inside and outside the country, in addition to contributing to support the national industry of wooden ships and increase the percentage of Emiratisation in this sector.