Emirates Shipping Congress and IEC Telecom drive maritime digital transformation at UAE Maritime Week
The UAE's 2030 vision for digital transformation in the maritime industry includes technologies such as IoT, big data analytics, AI and real-time fleet management, with satellite telecommunication being the backbone of this process. In this evolving landscape, the effective management of onboard network assets has become increasingly critical.
'Connectivity is no longer a luxury but a fundamental utility, driving a new era of maritime innovation,' stated Nabil Ben Soussia, Group Chief Commercial Officer at IEC Telecom, addressing delegates of the Emirates Shipping Congress at 'Navigating the Digital Seas: Maritime Transformation Powered by Satcom' panel discussion.
With high-speed LEO technology—pioneered by Starlink—the latest digital technologies are becoming increasingly available on board. According to the 2024 progress report, 75,000 vessels were connected to the network last year and this number continues to soar. That said, maritime connectivity is very complex and is subject to service availability, weather conditions and local regulations.
'No single vessel operates over a single network, particularly in the GCC. Typically, vessels would leverage LEO for international shipping routes, regional GEO operators for internal waters and GSM close to the shore. Each network has different access protocols and a range of applications, adapted to different bandwidths,' explained Nabil Ben Soussia, Group CCO, IEC Telecom Group.
Considering the complexity of modern marine communications, network management is essential to ensure operational efficiency and agility on board. Advanced network management platforms like IEC Telecom's OptiView are designed to help operators maximise user experience over each network. It also paves way to improved resource management, allowing fleet managers to activate or deactivate lines, reallocating airtime across the fleet as situation demands to ensure every megabyte is used strategically.
'We may not be able to teleport crew or cargo, but we can maximise digital infrastructure to stay agile and efficient,'- as co-lead of the session, Mr. Ben Soussia highlighted how evolving network engineering trends aim to boost both operational efficiency and cost optimisation. He noted that since 2019, the maritime sector has faced significant challenges—from global cataclysms and geopolitical shifts, fluctuating demand caused by sanctions and shifting trade policies to rerouted shipping lanes away from conflict zones and pandemic-related port closures. In this dynamic landscape, agility and cost-efficiency are now essential for vessel operators to stay competitive.
The latest version of OptiView was unveiled last month at Singapore Maritime Week. Mr. Ben Soussia announced that the service is now available globally, with GCC customers first in line for migration.
As part of Emirates Shipping Association's ongoing efforts to support innovation, digital resilience, and member education, the Congress serves as a strategic forum to spotlight emerging technologies and enable real-world collaboration. 'Emirates Shipping Congress was established as a platform for thought leadership and knowledge exchange, designed specifically to serve the evolving needs of the UAE maritime sector,' stated Huma Qureshi, General Manager of Emirates Shipping Association. 'As a new generation of digitally fluent seafarers joins the industry, understanding the operational implications of maritime digitalisation has never been more critical. Today's session offered our members and distinguished guests a clear and practical roadmap for transformation. We extend our sincere thanks to our partners from IEC Telecom for their invaluable insights and collaboration.'
The Emirates Shipping Congress emerged as a cornerstone event in the UAE's Maritime Week, offering a vital platform to address regional priorities and global trends. Experts like IEC Telecom help maritime stakeholders navigate the complexities of digital transformation.
The UAE Maritime Week incorporates a very comprehensive calendar of events unfolding in Dubai until 9 May.
About IEC Telecom Group
IEC Telecom Group is an international satellite service operator with nearly three decades of engineering expertise in voice and data services. The brand's portfolio includes a wide range of satellite products, LEO/GEO/LTE solutions, and value-added services. The Group is on a mission to spread digitalisation at sea for all vessel types. With an in-house network engineering team, IEC Telecom designs bespoke connectivity solutions for projects of any complexity. In addition, with global stock management, the company delivers worldwide. IEC Telecom has offices across nine countries: France, UAE, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Indonesia, and Mallorca.
About Emirates Shipping Association
Emirates Shipping Association represents and advocates for the UAE's maritime cluster. By working closely with industry stakeholders and policymakers, the Association is dedicated to enhancing the UAE's status as a global maritime hub while advancing sustainability and innovation in the sector.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
29-07-2025
- Zawya
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Africa Community of Practice showcases lessons from South Sudan on building resilient seed systems in fragile contexts
The FAO Regional Office for Africa Resilience Team held its third virtual Community of Practice (CoP) meeting on 8 July 2025, bringing together FAO staff and technical experts from across the continent. The session focused on practical lessons from South Sudan on strengthening seed systems in fragile and conflict-affected settings. South Sudan has made strong progress in increasing the use of locally sourced seeds, moving from 15 percent to over 55 percent in recent years. This achievement is supported by FAO's approach to working with both formal and informal seed systems, strengthening farmer cooperatives, training agro-dealers, and promoting local seed varieties. To ensure seed quality at the local level, the country has introduced informal Seed Quality Control Boards (SQCBs) at state and county levels. These boards help monitor standards in the absence of fully operational national certification bodies 'We are not choosing between formal or informal systems,' noted Felix Dzvurumi, Senior Programme Officer and Deputy FAO Representative a.i. in South Sudan, during the virtual presentation. 'We are designing practical solutions that work in fragile, rapidly changing environments.' The session highlighted efforts to engage the private sector by encouraging partnerships between seed companies and farmer cooperatives. The South Sudan Seed Traders Association plays an important role in linking producers and buyers. At the same time, FAO is supporting the preservation of indigenous seed varieties, which are well-suited to local conditions and offer resilience against shocks like floods and pests. FAO's support also includes work with the Ministry of Agriculture on a 10-year Agricultural Mechanization Plan, introducing tools such as seed planters, threshers, and cleaners to boost production. Seed fairs are being used to build trust and stimulate demand in local seed markets. 'Seed fairs give farmers direct access to seed options and suppliers, while building trust in the local system,' said Maurice Nyombe, National Crop Production Officer in South Sudan. The virtual CoP provided a space for participants from across Africa to exchange experiences, raise questions, and learn from each other. Topics included early generation seed bottlenecks, local market development, farmer-led innovations, and improving FAO's operational tools to meet field needs. Facilitated by Priya Gujadhur, Senior Resilience Officer at FAO RAF, the session reinforced the value of the Community of Practice as a platform for shared learning and continuous improvement. We are not just building systems—we're building confidence, capacity, and long-term solutions,' said Meshack Malo, FAO Representative in South Sudan.
Crypto Insight
26-07-2025
- Crypto Insight
Vietnam deploys national blockchain for identity and records
Vietnam launched a national blockchain platform designed to serve as the backbone for its expanding digital ecosystem. On Friday, Vietnam announced the state-run blockchain network, which will verify digital transactions and records across different sectors. The new platform, NDAChain, was developed by the country's National Data Association (NDA) and will be operated by the Ministry of Public Security's Data Innovation and Exploitation Center. The government said NDAChain will address long-standing challenges of centralized data models, including cyberattack vulnerabilities, scalability and limited global integration. NDAChain 'critical' to the local digital economy Nguyen Huy, the head of technology at the NDA, said that the blockchain will be a protective layer for the nation's live data. He said it will be 'critical' to their digital society and economy. The announcement also said the blockchain will offer a 'decentralized layer of trust' for national systems, including e-government, finance, healthcare, logistics and education. However, Huy said the network is not fully decentralized. 'Vietnam has chosen a hybrid data architecture that blends centralized and decentralized components,' Huy said. NDA said the network is a layer-1 permissioned blockchain, with 49 public-private validator nodes. State agencies, including the NDA and the Ministry of Public Security, will operate these nodes. Companies like SunGroup, Zalo, Masan, MISA, Sovico and VNVC will also play a role in securing the network. Permissioned blockchain networks are blockchains that include access control layers. This allows entities to have some measure of control over what actions network participants can perform. It adds a layer of security and control, making the blockchain centralized. These node operators will share a distributed ledger for transaction records, smart contracts for automation and identity verification modules linked with Vietnam's national identity systems. The platform runs on a Proof-of-Authority (PoA) consensus protocol, enhanced with zero-knowledge proofs for security. Vietnam adopts a decentralized identity solution In addition to transaction data, the NDAChain will also power NDA DID, a decentralized identity solution implemented by the NDA. It will be used to verify counterparty identity during transactions and allow service access and digital contract signing. The Vietnamese government said the NDAKey application will allow users to verify identities in seconds, aiming to prevent scams and digital identity theft.
Zawya
24-07-2025
- Zawya
Jordan: JBA, Rwanda ambassador discuss forming joint business council
AMMAN — President of the Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA) Hamdi Tabbaa on Wednesday met Rwandan Ambassador to the Kingdom James Ngango to discuss establishing a Jordan-Rwanda business council. The council aims to boost economic relations, facilitate 'deeper' business cooperation between the two countries, explore ways to expand cooperation between the private sectors of both countries and develop trade and investment exchanges, especially in priority sectors of mutual interest, according to Jordan News Agency, Petra. Tabbaa stressed the importance of building 'strategic' partnerships between businessmen in Jordan and Rwanda, calling for the need to organise "reciprocal" economic delegations to highlight promising investment opportunities in the Kingdom, particularly in the sectors of agriculture, tourism and pharmaceuticals. He also highlighted the significance of enhancing communication channels between the business communities of both countries to facilitate the exchange of expertise and enhancing cooperation. Ngango welcomed the proposal to establish a Jordan-Rwanda business council, expressing Rwanda's interest in boosting economic cooperation with Jordan. He highlighted his country's commitment to encouraging investors from both sides to explore the available investment opportunities, reinforcing the intent to expand bilateral economic ties and collaboration between the private sectors of both countries. The diplomat said that Jordan offers an attractive investment environment and encouraging incentives, while Rwanda provides a stimulating investment climate and various facilities for foreign investors. He stressed the importance of increasing the volume of trade between the two countries and providing appropriate frameworks to support cooperation. The trade volume between Jordan and Rwanda reached some $3.4 million in 2023, compared with $2.4 million in 2022, according to Petra. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
