DP World shares cruise industry experience with Kuwait Ports Authority

DP World has received a high-level delegation from Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA), visiting  Dubai ports to explore  developments in the ports industry and the rising importance of cruise tourism in the emirate.

The KPA delegation was headed by Sheikh Yousef Abdullah Al Sabah, Director General of Kuwait Ports Authority accompanied by KPA board member Anwar Al-Yassin, Assistant Director General of KPA Dr. Yahya Abdal, and Eng. Salma Marifi, Deputy Director of Planning and Projects. They were, received by H.E. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, at Dubai Customs Headquarters, alongside Mohammed Al Manaei, Director of Mina Rashid.

The first stop for the delegation was Mina Rashid (Port), where they learned about recent developments in the cruise industry, most notably the inauguration of the world’s largest covered cruise facility, Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal. Mr. Al Manaei presented the port’s development and ways to increase cooperation in marine tourism. The delegation then toured Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal and explored its world class facilities and services.

H.E. Sultan bin Sulayem underscored the importance of cooperation and coordination to leverage ports’ operational efficiency in the Gulf region. He pointed out that Dubai’s foreign trade with Kuwait reached AED 21 billion in 2014, an 11% rise over 2013.

Bin Sulayem, said: “At PCFC, we are committed to stepping up cooperation with KPA, in line with our efforts to share our experiences with ports operators in the GCC. This fulfills the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to take our experience to our GCC neighbours.”

He added: “DP World is actively developing cruise tourism to realise Dubai’s goal of attracting 20 million tourists to the emirate by 2020. We are following of the UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021 to diversify the economy by supporting growth in all sectors.”

Sheikh Yousef Abdullah Al Sabah, Director General of Kuwait Ports Authority, expressed his desire to learn from DP World’s success story and those of neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. 

He added that the KPA strives to gain the expertise from other GCC neighbours, especially with DP World's vast experience in the sector.

He added, “KPA delegation’s visit to Dubai aims at identifying the latest technologies being used in port management systems for such as marine, technical, administrative, financial and security work  as well as gaining knowledge about the latest developments in marine and commercial ports management science from our brothers in the UAE." 

The Kuwaiti delegation’s agenda also included a visit to the flagship Jebel Ali Port.