Thousands of project cargo professionals gathered earlier this week at Dubai World Trade Centre for the opening of Breakbulk Middle East 2025, marking the region’s largest industry event to date.
The event was officially inaugurated by Her Excellency Eng. Hessa Ahmed Al Malek, Minister Advisor for Maritime Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, who welcomed attendees and reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to strengthening global trade.
“The UAE remains committed to strengthening its position as a global trade hub by fostering collaboration, investing in infrastructure, and embracing innovation,” she said. “Breakbulk Middle East plays a critical role in advancing these efforts, bringing together key players to drive the industry forward.”
The Main Stage featured eight sessions covering key opportunities in the industry, including a MENA project overview, strategies for navigating global uncertainty, shipper perspectives on collaboration, and a fresh take on the energy transition. The Saudi Giga Project Update, sponsored by MSC, featured insights from Hisham Al-Ansari, CEO, MSC Saudi, who said “considering the scale of giga projects underway in Saudi Arabia, intermodal transport is vital to enable seamless movement of cargo via land, sea, and air. Currently, Saudi Arabia has over 211,000 kilometers of roads, 10 ports, and 28 airports, which is good combination of different transportation modes. The country is building a more sophisticated intermodal infrastructure that includes railways, which will change the landscape of logistics and connectivity in the country.”
An expanded Women in Breakbulk program emphasised leadership and opportunity, highlighted by keynote speaker Zai Miztiq, an award-winning author and motivational speaker. She shared lessons on overcoming adversity and strengthening leadership in the project cargo sector.
A powerful industry panel followed, with leaders from deugro, GAC Group, Gulftainer Co. Ltd., Cargoland International, Logifem Society Network, Tuscor Lloyds and WISTA UAE.
“Our industry panelists brought the courage to share some of their most challenging obstacles, their actions, and the results,” said Leslie Meredith, Women in Breakbulk Chair. “They broke barriers and opened new pathways of support to the women of Breakbulk – a networking group that’s growing in numbers and connecting professional women throughout the region and around the world.”
Artificial intelligence was another major focus, with two strategic sessions featuring case studies from EPCs Larsen & Toubro and Fluor.
“People should embrace digital transformation and the use of AI as an enabler,” said Dharmendra Gangrade, Head of Logistics Management Centre for Larsen & Toubro. “It will enable people to experience growth, and their high-value judgment will be even more important.”
Breakbulk Middle East’s Host Port, DP World, welcomed the exceptional turnout. Shahab Al Jassmi, SVP, Ports & Terminals Commercial, DP World GCC, delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the breakbulk sector’s growth, the impact of infrastructure investments, and Jebel Ali’s role in keeping trade moving despite disruptions. “Jebel Ali Port continues to set new benchmarks in the breakbulk sector, reinforcing its position as the region’s leading hub for non-containerised cargo”, he said.
“With infrastructure development, tourism, and demand for renewable energy surging across the GCC, the breakbulk sector is set to continue a strong growth trajectory in the region. We look forward to engaging with partners and customers at Breakbulk Middle East to drive new opportunities in the industry.”
Ben Blamire, Event Director, noted the record-breaking attendance. “All indications running up to today’s opening pointed to a record attendance and I’m pleased to see so many conversations taking place – we are on track to exceed last year’s results by a significant margin. Breakbulk Middle East has a history of bringing the industry together, and this year is no different.”
Breakbulk Middle East continues tomorrow with more strategic discussions, networking opportunities, and market insights shaping the region’s project cargo landscape.
