Reinforcing Dubai's position as a leading maritime destination, the Clarksons Group the world's leader shipping services provider, announced its official launch in Dubai at a glittering event held on Sunday 27 November 2005, with the opening of its regional headquarters in the city.
Attended by over 250 guests that included the crème of the maritime industry from all over the world, the event commenced with a presentation conducted by Clarksons group worldwide CEO, Richard Fulford-Smith.
Speaking at the launch event, he said: "This is a momentous occasion for us. We are pleased at the establishment of our Middle East headquarters in Dubai. This office will develop into the regional hub for Clarksons global services helping us grow our business and expand our market share, and the regional office will be shifted to Dubai Maritime City upon completion. Clarksons prides itself on being an innovator in the industry and it is only fitting that we partner with Dubai Maritime City.
Essam Balla the Managing Director of Clarkson FZE (Dubai) added "In recent times, Dubai has evolved as a prime maritime destination and a world leader in maritime development. A significant advantage of this move is that we will be able to operate in close proximity to our prime avenues of business,"
This move highlights Clarksons growing commitment to the Middle East and is in keeping with its expansion strategy and growth plans.
Welcoming Clarksons to the Dubai Maritime City family, Amer Ali, Project Manager of Dubai Maritime City said: "Clarksons is the biggest shipping services company in the world and we are delighted to welcome it to the growing Dubai Maritime City family. We look forward to a bright and prosperous future together. At Dubai Maritime City, we will provide the core elements of infrastructure required by key marine and maritime-related industries and services in one location that will perfectly complement Dubai's existing shipping operations."
Clarksons offers the most comprehensive chartering service combined with industry leading research and consultancy. As well as its London headquarters, the group has offices in many of the world's major shipping centres including Athens, Paris, Genoa, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco and Johannesburg.
About Dubai Maritime City
Dubai Maritime City will be a 216-hectare manmade peninsula, and will create an iconic, multidimensional maritime centre providing a unique world-class environment for the global maritime community. Dubai Maritime City is headed by Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman.
