DUBAI — King Abdullah Port, the first privately owned, developed and operated port in the Middle East, is extending its support for the upcoming 2020 edition of Breakbulk Middle East. This marks the third consecutive year in which King Abdullah Port will contribute to the success of the conference and exhibition. The two-day BBME conference and exhibition is scheduled to take place on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26 under the patronage of Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority (FTA) for Land and Maritime. Officially inaugurated by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense in 2019, King Abdullah Port has established itself as a leading regional logistics hub. As one of the largest infrastructure megaprojects in the Middle East run fully by the private sector, the facility is set to play a key role in achieving the objectives of Vision 2030, the Kingdom's ambitious roadmap for the future. The port has gone through a phase of rapid expansion and was named second among the world's fastest growing ports by Alphaliner in 2018. The same year, it moved up to 83rd place on the list of the world's 100 biggest container ports. Ranked as the second largest in the Kingdom in terms of container handling, King Abdullah Port's position, with the launch of a new Smart Gate System, is set to boost the efficiency of cargo flowing in and out, and volumes are poised to increase further in the year ahead. Ben Blamire, Event Director of Breakbulk Middle East emphasized, "Having the full support of an esteemed industry name such as King Abdullah Port is highly beneficial for our event. Similarly, we are adamant on reciprocating this support by ensuring Breakbulk Middle East provides the utmost value, not only to our loyal and valued sponsors, but also to each and every exhibitor and visitor. When examining the grand scheme of it all, contributing to the industry's growth, and in turn the region's success is the reason behind Breakbulk Middle East. The collective support of key governmental figures, leading decision makers, and various industry players is what allows us to achieve this vision. Thus, we are extremely grateful to King Abdullah Port and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the many years ahead. In addition to King Abdullah Port's Platinum Sponsorship, the two-day GCC project cargo and breakbulk event has secured the support of DP World, Abu Dhabi Ports, Agility, MICCO Logistics, Bahri, COSCO Shipping, and more. Leslie Meredith, Marketing Director, Breakbulk Events & Media chimed in saying, "We are proud to say that on a yearly basis Breakbulk Middle East manages to maintain its status as the fastest growing event in our global portfolio. We are aware that a large part of this success is built on a foundation that requires the strong support of the industry's most influential counterparts such as King Abdullah Port. Due to strong alliances such as this, we can confidently state that Breakbulk Middle East is the place to be for all those involved in the development, design and execution of the region's projects — whether it be oil & gas, energy, chemicals or maritime infrastructure. It's where relationships begin and new business partners are made. Meredith concluded, "The door for registration for the fifth edition is now open, and we welcome all industry leaders and experts to join us by registering through our official platforms."
