The shipping industry in the UAE and the Middle East has never faced challenges of such a scale and multitude as those currently witnessed, Captain James MacHardy, the former chief executive of the Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators, has claimed.

However, Captain MacHardy, who now chairs the Middle East Workboats forum, went on to claim that conversely, the maritime has never witnessed such a period of opportunity either.

According to the group, the Middle Eastern shipbuilding industry has continued to post growth in recent months, despite the strains in the wider economy.

Explaining the challenges, he warned: "There is a serious lack of competent seafarers throughout the shipping industry and probably more so in the small vessel sector."

This shortage comes even as the availability of maritime training and development programmes for workers in the oil and gas industry and other key transportation sectors grows, Seatrade has also claimed.

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