Dr. Mamdouh Al-Rifai, President of the Arab Union of Customs Brokers, participated in the activities of the Fourth Arab Forum for Maritime Dispute Resolution, titled “Maritime Transport Economics and Sustainable Development Strategies.” This participation aligns with the approach of the Arab Union of Customs Brokers in events and activities that serve Arab intra-trade and strengthen relations and cooperation among Arab countries. Dr. Al-Rifai was invited by the Academy of Justice for Legal and Economic Studies in cooperation with the Alexandria Port Authority and the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA).
The forum began with an opening speech by Major General Reda Ismail, Head of the Maritime Transport Sector, who thanked the attendees for responding to the invitation and participating in the forum’s activities aimed at enhancing Arab intra-trade. Then Major General Medhat Atiyah, Chairman of the Alexandria Port Authority, spoke about the role of Arab ports in boosting Arab trade and his plans to develop Alexandria Port to secure incoming and outgoing ships. This was followed by speeches from Dr. Sonia Ashour, representing the LMAA, and Dr. Ibrahim Fahmy, President of the Academy of Justice for Legal and Economic Studies.
The forum addressed many issues related to maritime transport, including the risks facing the maritime transport industry. Discussions included the role of insurance and protection and indemnity clubs (P&I) in the maritime industry. Dr. Captain Montaser Al-Sukkari, an international maritime expert and forum chairman, elaborated on the role of insurance in maritime transport and the current reality and prospects of the Arab commercial maritime transport industry. The forum also covered shipowners’ insurance, discussing the Saudi experience in the maritime transport sector presented by Consultant Dr. Abdulrazzaq Hashem Al-Madani, Chairman of the Founding Council of the Cooperative Association for Maritime Affairs in Jeddah, and ways to generalize it to other Arab countries, along with mutual insurance of shipowners’ liabilities.
At the end of the first day, a workshop was held on “Investigation of Marine Accidents and Ship Safety Rules,” which included screenings of documentary films about maritime accidents.
