DUBAI – Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, the Hon. Anthony Hylton, and his delegation of public and private sector officials recently discussed the possibility of collaborating on Jamaica’s logistics hub project with Khamis Juma Buamim, Chairman of Drydocks World and Maritime World (DDWMW) in Dubai, during his ongoing mission to the Gulf States.
Drydocks World, the leading shipyard in the Middle East engaged in ship repair, conversion, new building and offshore construction, hosted the Minister and his team on April 3, and presented an overview of the company and its strategy for growth. The ministerial delegation was subsequently taken on a tour of Drydocks World and Dubai Maritime City to view the operations and mega projects currently underway.
“We are delighted to receive the Honourable Minister and showcase the role played by us in the development of the maritime, ship and drilling rig repairs and offshore fabrication including the oil, gas and energy sectors in the region and globally,” stated Mr. Buamim.
“We are open to cooperation and the exchange of ideas and knowledge to achieve mutually beneficial goals and for the larger objective of the development of all maritime industry sectors. Such cooperation fits in perfectly with our identified strategic spheres to drive the future growth of DDWMW,” he added.
The ministerial mission to Kuwait and Dubai, which runs from March 29 to April 5, seeks to engage potential partners and investors primarily in the logistics sector. Several meetings have been scheduled with key industry leaders in the aviation industry and wider private sector, as well as with representatives from sovereign wealth funds who are open to making sustainable investments in projects such as Jamaica’s Logistics Hub initiative.
Also high on the agenda of Minister Hylton and his delegation is the deepening commercial and industrial relations between Jamaica and the Gulf States and developing a clearer understanding of the major considerations in establishing Jamaica as a regional logistics hub. The mission constitutes a part of Jamaica’s benchmarking process, following up on previous visits to Panama and Singapore – countries with similar geo-economic status as Jamaica. The Jamaica Logistics Hub project seeks to position the entire Jamaica as a global asset and as the fourth node in the global logistics supply network, joining Panama, Singapore, the Netherlands (Rotterdam), and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai).
Representatives from government agencies accompanying Minister Hylton on the mission include Mr. Clive Fagan, Chairman, Factories Corporation of Jamaica; Dr. Eric Deans, Chairman, Jamaica Logistics Task Force; Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, Interim President, Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO); and Mr. Leroy Lindsay, Senior Aviation Consultant, Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority. The private sector representatives comprise of Mr. Kim Clarke, President, Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ), Mr. Trevor Riley, General Manager, SAJ, and Mr. Francis Kennedy, President, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC).
