SHANGHAI, 20th October, 2025 (WAM) -- The United Arab Emirates, represented by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI), participated in the 5th North Bund Forum, which has become a global platform for driving collaboration in the green shipping sector.

Hosted in Shanghai, China, the forum brought together maritime ministers and industry leaders from around the world.

Hessa Al Malek, Advisor to the Minister for Maritime Transport Affairs at MoEI, delivered the UAE's address during the forum.

In her speech, she emphasised the deep strategic relations between the United Arab Emirates and the People's Republic of China, noting that the volume of non-oil trade between the two countries exceeded US$90 billion in 2024. She also highlighted both sides' aspirations to more than double this figure to US$200 by 2030 amid growing cooperation in all sectors, particularly energy and logistics.

She said, "The UAE is the largest incubator for Chinese businesses in the Arab world, with more than 16,500 commercial licenses registration owned by Chinese nationals in the UAE. The UAE is also China's largest partner in the Arab region in non-oil commodities only, with Chinese commodities being re-exported through UAE ports to more than 400 cities in the Middle East and North Africa, making it one of China's most important strategic trade destinations."

She added, "We believe that the shift towards a greener shipping industry is inevitable; however, we prefer to take more rational and practical steps by creating incentives and enablers before implementing any radical measures.

Al Malek noted that just few weeks ago, the UAE hosted the 2025 World Maritime Day Parallel Event, themed "Our Ocean - Our Obligation - Our Opportunity." The event brought together international maritime leaders and industry experts to discuss critical challenges and opportunities for the global maritime and shipping sectors.

She said, "I am extremely proud to say that the event was a resound success. It reflected the spirit of collaboration that we want to see. We highlighted key topics like decarbonisation, plastic litter from ships, protecting marine biodiversity, and capacity development. By helping make our seas safer, the outcomes of the event will have a far-reaching regional and global impact on all maritime sectors, including green shipping."

At the conclusion of her speech, Al Malek affirmed that the future would belong to nations that collaborate to achieve common goals. She called for unified international efforts to drive the transition toward a green maritime sector that contributes to economic prosperity and enhances the sustainability of maritime communities around the world.