Huge investments made in the Middle East have signalled an upgrade of the region’s potential in the eyes of Maersk Line unit Safmarine, according to the company’s Middle East-North Africa Regional Executive, Mr Stephen Knight.

The huge investments, a combination of transport and industrial development projects within the oil-rich Gulf countries, represent exciting opportunities for business and the company was geared to respond more swiftly to the needs of the market, Mr Knight said.

"We started by reintroducing the Prime Express ME3 service, which strengthened our involvement in the Middle East/South Asia-Mediterranean trade and then added "Then we included the UAE port of Sharjah to the Masiika Express service, thereby providing a direct service from the port to East Africa," he explained.

Mr Knight also admitted that the other reprioritised market for Safmarine was the Indian Subcontinent, which can expect service enhancements in coming months as well as improvements to its traditional African market base, Exim News Service reports.

Source: Transport Weekly