Singapore wants to collaborate with the UAE on digitalisation and decarbonisation in the maritime industry, a top executive has told the state-run Emirates News Agency (Wam).
The CEO of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Quah Ley Hoon (below), said: “Singapore and the UAE enjoy very strong bilateral relations; we are both [maritime] hubs in different regions of the world and it is our role to ensure that whatever ships that cross in Singapore and the UAE, we are able to handle the different types of challenges, moving forward.”
“Therefore, we are really looking forward to collaborating with the UAE in digitalisation and decarbonisation,” Quah added. She was speaking on the sidelines of the Ports Authorities Roundtable 2022 in Abu Dhabi.
Digitalisation is one of the three key areas that will help the maritime industry face some important challenges, Ley Hoon said.
Through digitalisation “we ensure that different parties are able to connect with one another, not just on port clearance but also on cargo clearance, allowing the goods to flow in a more seamless manner,” she explained.
The second area is decarbonisation, and for the maritime industry to further reduce emissions as it works towards the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) goals of 2050.
“We need to look at what’s the future ship, what’s the type of ship that we can cater for in future,” she added, referring to the IMO’s initial greenhouse gas strategy that envisages reducing total annual emissions from international shipping by at least 50 percent by 2050, compared to 2008.
The third key area is handling the disruption as it happened during the global pandemic.
The industry has to come together to ensure that goods continue to flow uninterrupted in the event of a public health issue or a similar challenge, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore CEO said.
The Ports Authorities Roundtable is a major annual maritime event that brings together port authorities from around the world to strengthen consensus and cooperation in the industry.
“It is really important for us to come up with ideas, especially in the areas of decarbonisation and digitalisation. There are a lot of question marks now when it comes to global trade, global shipping and global maritime, and I hope that through this roundtable we are able to move forward,” Quah added.
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