Maritime Standard Awards Recognises Industry Achievements

The fifth annual The Maritime Standard Awards, held on Monday 15th October at the iconic Atlantis Ballroom, on The Palm, was an impressive occasion that demonstrated once again why it is widely considered to be the leading regional awards ceremony for the maritime industry. Hosted by top BBC journalist, Tim Willcox, the Awards were attended by a high-level audience comprising more than 700 executives in shipping, ports, shipbuilding and repair and related sectors, from almost 70 different countries.

The glittering, glamorous event, held once again under the patronage of His Highness, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, celebrates and rewards the achievements of leading companies and individuals active in maritime fields in the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent.

The Maritime Standard Awards founder and managing director, Trevor Pereira, said: “It was a huge honour that His Highness was able to attend and show his support not just for the awards but the industry as a whole. Having such an esteemed leader in the ballroom gives a clear message that the significance of the maritime industry in the UAE, and the wider region, is fully acknowledged at the highest level.”

In total 21 awards were presented to individuals and companies following the deliberations of the judging panel. Clive Woodbridge, editor of TMS and chairman of the judges, said, “Once again all the entries were of a very high standard and the evidence that this is a region where innovation and quality is valued was there for all to see. It was not an easy task deciding the winners of each category and anyone who was shortlisted demonstrated that they were worthy contenders.”

In addition to the awards determined by the judging panel, there were a number of special awards presented by the TMS team for particularly impressive levels of performance. The Maritime Standard Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Professor Mustafa Amin Massad of the Jordan Academy for Maritime Studies; The Personality of the Year Award went to KOTC’s Ali Shehab Ahmed; and the International Marine Personality of the Year was presented to Dr. Nikolas Tsakos, chairman of Intertanko. In addition a special Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Captain Anoop Kumar Sharma for his work over 34 years in the industry.

Other awards selected by The Maritime Standard included H.E. Eng. Hessa Al Malek, of the UAE Federal Transport Agency,  who was the recipient of the Woman in Shipping award, and H.E. Eduardo Fonseca, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama, who was named Young Person in Shipping. Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi secured the Excellence in Shipping Award and the winner of the Deal of the Year was International Maritime Industries of Saudi Arabia. Dubai Maritime City Authority was given the Best Practice Award and the Editor’s Choice Award went to Oman Drydock Company.

Trevor Pereira added, “It was a tremendous night of celebration, and acknowledgement, which highlighted the fantastic achievements of both companies and individuals and demonstrated to a global audience the rapid progress that is being made in the region. The whole occasion was uplifting, and entertaining, and I am really proud of my team at TMS who delivered the biggest and best awards for the maritime sector in the region, one that this industry fully deserves.”