Event Report

In commercial shipping, Letters of Indemnity are always a tough call. To do it or not to do it – that’s the dilemma which the practitioner faces.

Undoubtedly, a thorough understanding of the subject especially from the legal angle will help any practitioner in his decision making. The webinar on "Orange Juice, Truth, Lies and LOIs" by Capt. Norman Lopez on 31st October did exactly that.

Capt. Norman, in his distinctive style, explained the concepts involved in Letter of Indemnities blending it with actual cases and judgments. The wide spectrum of experience behind Capt. Norman: Extra Master, Solicitor, P&I Correspondent, Educationist and Trainer, Author, and a variety of other shipping functions was evident in the presentation.

Attended by about 140 participants, the webinar was hosted by Mr. Krishna Prasad and Mr. Abdul Hafis of the Middle East branch.

Event Report

The last session of the ongoing Knowledge Series 2020 titled "Freight Forwarding - Problem Solver in the Supply Chain" was held on 31st October 2020.

Mr. Sudesh Chaturvedi, Manager- Projects and Energy of GAC Dubai made a presentation highlighting the scope and development of freight forwarding, the key concepts in multimodal logistics and supply chain, and the main documents used in freight forwarding. He also explained the value-added services given by the freight forwarders: packing, loading, lashing, survey, insurance, and IOR/EOR. The presentation also dealt with digitization, e-commerce, Hyperloop and drones, and other new developments in the offing. The presentation was followed by a Question and Answer session. Ms. Shalini, a committee member of the ICS Middle East branch anchored the session. 

Event Report

The webinar on ‘Insurance & Claims – Taking the Right Action at the Right Time’ organized by the ICS Middle East branch was held on 21st October 2020.

Mr. Abdul Hafis, Director of Freight Disputes & Legal Solutions and member of the ICS Middle East branch committee who has over 24 years of experience in insurance, claims, and related fields explained the importance of insurance, the role of P&I Club in settlement of cargo claims and processing of cargo claims. With the spread of multimodal transport, risk analysis of the various entities involved has become a critical factor. The presentation highlighted this point and stressed the need for suitable risk-mitigating mechanisms for the various entities involved. Relevant applicable laws were also discussed.

Mr. Ravi Shankar, General Secretary of the Middle East branch anchored the event which was attended by 69 participants.

Event Report

The Middle East branch of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers hosted a very well-received webinar on "Chartering Practice - Dry Bulk Cargo” held on 17th October 2020. It is part of the ongoing Knowledge Series 2020 which is a collection of very useful lectures on essential topics for the practicing shipping professionals. The webinar dealt with the main subjects of dry cargo chartering, types of charter, chartering practices in the dry bulk trades, negotiations, and the main terms in fixtures and Charter Parties. Mr. Binu K Joseph, Managing Director at Insight Maritime DMCC and a tutor of the ICS Middle East branch made a very interesting and easy to understand presentation that helped viewers gain a better understanding of the subject.

Mr. Dinesh Lobo moderated the webinar and Mr. Binu handled the Q&A session along with inputs from Mr. Krishna Prasad, President of the ICS Middle East branch. Over 90 participants from the GCC countries attended the event.

Event Report

The Middle East branch of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers hosted another successful webinar on "Trade Finance, Shipping & Logistics - Why they are Inseparable" held on 10th October 2020. The webinar dealt with the importance of interfaces in international trade and shipping. Often, the interfaces between the trading contracts, logistics contracts, and other contracts are either overlooked or not given due attention. Mr. Krishnan Subramaniam, the immediate past President of the ICS Middle East branch, in his exemplary style explained the importance of understanding the interfaces, the role played by documentary credits in international trade, and the importance of using correct incoterms.

Mr. Dinesh Lobo and Ms. Shalini who anchored the session ensured that the event was flawless. Over 100 participants from the GCC countries attended the event. 

Event Report

Delivery Order has a very critical function. Port agents and ship owners are exposed to claims for wrongful issuance of Delivery Order. Adequate knowledge about the Bill of Lading and Delivery Order is very essential in commercial shipping.

The Knowledge Series session on Delivery Order – Critical process for a Ship Agency company by Mr. R Nagaraj explained the process of issuance of Delivery Order, the pitfalls and challenges, and possible errors.

Ms. Shalini, committee member of the Middle East branch anchored the event and Mr. Krishna Prasad, President of the Middle East branch coordinated the Question and Answer Session

Event Report

The Knowledge Series session on “Bill of Lading and its Indispensable Value to Trade” was a popular event with nearly 120 participants.

Mr. Krishna Prasad- President of the Middle East Branch showed the importance of BL in international trade. He also explained the various functions of BL, types of BL, and other critical aspects faced by industry practitioners.
Mr. Dinesh Lobo- committee member of the Middle East Branch introduced the speaker and coordinated the Question and Answer session.

Event Report

The ongoing Knowledge Series 2020 of the ICS Middle East Branch covers many topics of importance to day to day shipping practice such as Essential Concepts in Shipping, Delivery Order, Freight Forwarding, Insurance & Claims, etc.

The session on ‘Chartering Practice: Dry Bulk Cargo’ held on 19th September by Capt. Jagan Satyamurty – General Manager of Aurora Tankers Dubai covered various aspects of Tanker Chartering such as ships and cargoes, the process of tanker chartering, the stakeholders in chartering of ships, different types of charters, the peculiarities of tanker chartering, and the importance of tank cleaning. The thorough knowledge and extensive experience of Capt. Jagan was evident throughout the presentation. The event anchored by Mr. Dinesh Lobo Committee Member of the Middle Branch of the ICS and concluded with a Question and Answer session.

Event Report

The Middle East branch commenced its online-based Knowledge Series 2020 on Saturday, September 12th, 2020. The series comprises eight sessions and runs every Saturday until October 31st. It covers various topics that are of specific interest and relevance to young professionals in the maritime industry of the Middle East region.

 

The first session was titled “Essentials of Shipping” and was delivered by Mr. Ravishankar(FICS) -Director of Eastgate Shipping LLC and Ms Shalini Muralidharan (FICS) – Commercial Manager Al-Rashed Group of Companies.  

The session was well attended by over 75 participants spread over the Mideast region.

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The purpose of the Knowledge Series 2020 is to give an opportunity to junior and middle-level professionals of the industry to widen their awareness and knowledge in diverse aspects of Shipping as well as to continuously strive towards raising industry standards. The Knowledge Series also serves as a very useful source of information for students doing the exams in November 2020 as well as other professionals contemplating to join the educational programmes of the ICS.  

Event Report

Blockchain technology is widely talked about these days. Many of us do not know the concepts or the application of this new technology in the shipping industry. The ICS Middle East Silver Jubilee Webinar Series on DEMOCRATIZING SHIP FINANCE BY USING BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY held on 5th September 2020 focused on the application of blockchain and tokenization in ship finance.

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Mr. Sunil Arora, Director of ShipFinex based in London explained the constraints of traditional ship finance and IPOs. He also introduced the concept of using digital technology in ship finance.

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Capt. Vikas Pandey, Director of Signy Advanced Technologies based in India lucidly explained the blockchain and the flexibility it provides. Capt. Pandey also explained how blockchain can be applied in the digitization of ship finance. Mr. Tony Dagher, a Dubai based shipowner narrated the difficulties in raising funds for ship finance and his vision of using the digitized ship finance model.

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292 participants from 30 countries registered for the event.

Event Report

The UAE Maritime Law has lots of peculiarities. When compared to the English Law, the UAE Maritime Law treats many issues such as issuing a clean BL against an indemnity in quite a different way. The ICS Middle East branch Silver Jubilee Continuous Professional Development series on ‘Cargo Claims and the UAE Maritime Law’ dealt with the different ways in which the UAE Maritime Law treats many situations in daily shipping practice including cargo claims. The webinar also dealt with General Average, the role of P&I Club, and how cargo claims are handled.

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Abdul Hafis, Committee Member of the ICS Middle East branch and a local tutor presented the webinar on Cargo Claims and the UAE Maritime Law on 29th August 2020. The event was attended by over 35 members and invited guests. The session ended with a lively question and answer session.

Event Report

The ICS Middle East Branch organized a virtual Open Day on 22nd August which was attended by 35 participants and tutors from the Middle East Branch.

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During the session, questions related to the Bill of Lading, Incoterms, and Agency matters were discussed.

The event was anchored by Mr. Dinesh Lobo, Committee Member (Education). Mr. Ravi Shankar, General Secretary of the Branch, explained the ICS educational programs and guided the participants on the syllabus, Examinations, and registration process. Mr. Abu Bakr, tutor, and a Branch prize winner shared his experiences in preparing for the ICS examinations. Mr. Krishna Prasad, President of the Middle East Brach, highlighted the importance of professionalism and education in building a successful career. The session concluded with a question and answer session.

Event Report

The Covid-19 pandemic is undoubtedly creating havoc in our lives. The shipping industry is the lifeline of commodity movement has not been spared. Most of the industry practitioners are anxious to know the outlook of the impact of Covid-19 in their future businesses.

 

The webinar on ‘Outlook for the Global Shipping Industry in a Post-Pandemic world’ by Mr. Peter Sand - Chief Shipping Analyst of BIMCO, covered the market outlook for dry bulk, tankers, and the container markets. It is not always that we see such an in-depth and meaningful analysis of data. With over 450 registrations from 40 countries, the ICS Middle East Silver Jubilee webinar series continues to be popular in the industry.

Event Report

The second webinar in the ICS- Middle East Silver Jubilee Continuous Professional Development series was presented by Ms. Shoba Rao, General Manager – RHS (Cruise Division) and a Fellow of the Middle East Branch.

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Ms. Shoba made an interesting presentation on the Cruise Industry: the various types of cruise ships, facilities and amenities onboard, types of services, and the agent’s challenges. Apart from the Members of the Middle East Branch, Mr. Norman Lopez and Ms. Karlie Cavanagh of Australia and New Zealand Branch attended the session and actively participated in the discussions. The finer aspects of the cruise industry are alien to many of the ICS members and the session definitely helped in the participants gaining insights into the industry and the practical challenges of a port agent attending to cruise ships.

Event Report

The topic of derivatives may not have interest from a broad range of shipping professionals but the ICS Middle East Silver Jubilee Webinar on "Derivatives - A Double-Edged Sword" held on 4th July 2020 by Mr. Jagmeet Makkar and Mr. Chris Hudson attracted registrations of about 335 participants from 31 countries.

 

The success of the event was evident from the fact that most of the participants stayed until the very end. It was a complex topic explained in a simple and lucid way by both the speakers.

Event Report

Discussion on futuristic topics is always exciting. At a time when automation is the talk of the day, be it in road transport, drones, rail travel and day to day chores such as banking, a discussion on automated ships is only apt.

 

Dr. Margareta Holtensdotter Lützhöft, an expert on automation of human-machine relationship gave an interesting presentation during the Silver Jubilee webinar series on “Autonomous Ships – is it a realistic option?”.

 

Professor Lützhöft explained the challenges of human-technology interaction and the problems of autonomous ships. She concluded by saying that machines and humans teaming up to work together using each other’s strengths will probably be the best option.

 

The webinar drew 421 registrations from 30 countries. The presentation was followed by a Q&A session moderated by Mr. Ravi Shankar, General Secretary of the ICS Middle East branch.

Event Report

The ICS Middle East launched the new Continuous Professional Development series with a presentation on RoRo business by Mr. Suresh Sethuraman of GAC-Dubai.  Through the CPD sessions, members with expertise and experience in various segments of the shipping industry share their knowledge with other members.

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Suresh, with his extensive experience in the business, lucidly explained the types of RoRo ships, their specialties, and the types of cargoes carried by the RoRo ships. Even the participants who were familiar with the RoRo trade found the presentation very interesting.

Event Report

"COVID-19 Challenges for Port Agents, Terminal Operators & Forwarders” presented by Mr. Julien Horn and Mr. Abdul Fahl of TT Club and Mr. Matthew Offers of ITIC was another successful event conducted by the ICS Middle East branch. The event attracted 585 registrations from 42 countries.

Event Report

Another successful webinar!

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With 588 registrations from 39 countries, the event attracted professionals from a variety of functions: shipping & logistics, trading, banking & financial institutions, and liner operators.

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Mr. Vincent O’Brien, Director of ICC UAE, who presented the webinar has over 25 years of experience in trade finance & related topics and has delivered technical assistance for Trade Finance in more than 100 countries. He kept the participants on their toes with practical scenarios and live cases.

Event Report

The ICS Middle East Silver Jubilee webinar on  Dry Bulk Market Outlook was once again a grand success with over 600 registrations.

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Mr. Henrik Jeremiassen - Executive Vice President at Delta Corp, Copenhagen, and Mr. Rahul Sharan - Dry Bulk Specialist at Drewry Shipping Consultants, India enthralled the participants with their insights on the dry bulk market.

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Mr. Rahul Sharan explained the dry bulk market dynamics from the demand side, the supply side, and how the supply-demand balance translates to charter hire.

 

Mr. Henrik Jeremiassen explained the market factors contributable to Covid-19 from a ship operator’s perspective: market drop, historically low oil prices, increased counterparty risks, and an unprecedented number of Force Majeure being declared.

 

The presentations were interspersed with Polls and comments from the participants which made the program very interactive. The presentations were followed by a lively Question and Answer session.

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The Webinar drew widespread compliments from the participants.  According to Mr. Vincent O’Brien, Acting Director of the International Chamber of Commerce UAE  “The webinar was wonderful today - the best  I have seen”.

Event Report

As part of the Silver Jubilee Webinar Series, the first online training session on ‘Practical Aspects of Bills of Lading’ was held on 9th May 2020.

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The popularity of the Bill of Lading as a training topic was very evident from the fact that 661 participants from 45 countries registered for the session. Over 450 actually attended the training session.

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The event is also supported by trade organizations from eight countries.

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The training was conducted by Mr. Sudesh Chaturvedi- Committee Member, ME Branch; Capt. Norman Lopez- Education Officer of Australia and New Zealand branch and member of the ETC and Mr. Krishna Prasad- Vice President of the Middle East branch.

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The training program was interspersed with quizzes and polls which kept the interest of the participants alive. Practical scenarios faced by those handling the Bill of Lading on a daily basis were discussed. The program, its design, concept, content, and delivery were very well appreciated by the participants. The presentations were followed by a lively Question and Answer session with questions pertaining to topics such as Switched BLs, Split BLs, Electronic BLs, and Seaway BLs.

Event Report

The ICS Middle East branch conducted a webinar on Tanker Market Outlook on 2nd May 2020.

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Once again, the event proved popular among participants from across the globe. 369 participants from 31 countries registered for the event.

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Mr.Andrew Finn, Partner in Affinity (Shipping) LLP UK, gave a detailed presentation on how the crude and product tanker markets behaved in the recent past. He discussed the demand for storage and its resultant impact in the tanker market. The extremely low crude prices have led to a very high demand for tankers as storage units taking charter hires to unprecedented levels. The depth of Andrew’s data analysis was spellbinding.

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Mr. Ben Ognibene, Founder CEO of Concord Maritime USA, presented the tanker market outlook from an owner’s perspective. Ben graphically explained the volatility of the tanker market due to conflicts, regulations, and mother nature. His analysis on the role of OPEC in the supply of oil and its impact on tanker trade was interesting.

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The webinar was hosted by Mr. Krishnan Subramaniam, President of the ICS Middle East Branch, a veteran in the tanker trade.

Event Report

The Webinar on ‘Successful Leadership in Times of Uncertainty’ by Prof Christopher Abraham organized by the Middle East Branch of the ICS on the 25th of April was an astounding success. With over 330 registrations, the Webinar, a part of the Silver Jubilee Series of the Branch, kept the participants fully occupied and glued to their screens throughout during the presentation.

Prof Chris started his presentation with the changing VUCA world and the adaptability of the human brain. Taking cues from Neuroscience, he explained the role of different types of intelligence during the COVID-19 crisis, the power of the human brain to focus on thriving through disruptions, and the importance of the right mindset.

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The importance of focussing collectively and a step by step explanation on leadership in tackling the present crisis was laid out. He concluded his presentation by looking at the factors that will lead the post-trauma growth.

Event Report

The Webinar on ‘COVID -19: Disruption in Commodity Trade – Whose baby is it?’ conducted by the Middle East Branch of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers on the 18th of April was a grand success.

Over 475 participants from 32 countries registered for the event.

The Covid-19 crisis and the resultant lockdown have thrown the commodity trade and in turn shipping into turmoil. Many countries have clamped complete lockdowns; many ports have declared Force Majeure. Traders, charterers, and owners have started taking shelter behind Force Majeure, whether it is covered under the relevant contracts or not. The importance of this topic in the present scenario was seen by the high number of registrations and the overwhelming number of questions received in advance and during the Webinar.

Ms. Franky George, Regional Claims Manager of Charterer’s P and I Club who conducted the Webinar was outstanding. Presentations on law topics are usually dull but Ms. Franky’s presentation glued the audience to their screens. Her detailed explanation of the commodity trade chain and the application of Force Majeure to it was interesting. References to actual cases was an eye-opener for many who are facing similar situations.

Event Report

ICS- Middle East Branch conducted its first webinar of the new series on “Documentary Issues in Shipping – Covid-19” on 11th April 2020.

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With 418 participants from 29 countries registered for the event.

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The Covid-19 situation around the world has thrown challenges that were not known before.

The trade, be it, shippers, charterers, owners, or operators are facing situations drastically affecting their businesses. Many of the issues being faced are new and need novel solutions and approaches. The objective of the webinar was to give clarity on some of these issues.

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Mr. Muthu Jagannath FICS, M/s NAU Pte Ltd now Singapore based arbitrator listed with Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration, China Maritime Arbitration Commission, Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre, Asian International Arbitration Centre and the Indian Council of Arbitration. of the Singapore branch presented the topic impeccably.

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25 years of experience in various facets of shipping and international trade involved in handling / adjusting various marine-related claims.

He covered specific issues faced by the trade due to the pandemic such as documents not reaching the destination, documents being stuck in banking channels, and consequences due to lockdowns. He also talked about force majeure and how it affects contracts of carriage. The webinar was followed by a Question and Answer session.

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Event Report

Seminar Celebration 150 Years of the Association of Average Adjusters
And ICS open Day

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The seminar which was held on 24th February 2020 at Grand Excelsior Hotel, Bur Dubai, sponsored by Association of Average Adjusters was a very good opportunity to build networks and meet other members of the institute as well as guests from the shipping industry.

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The attendees were invitees of AAA, Members of the institute, Supporters, and Sponsors. The event started at 6:30 PM by introducing our sponsor for the Ms. Heather Robinson Fellow of the Association of Average Adjusters, Director, Marine, Charles Taylor Adjusting – Dubai Branch who gave us the presentation on how the Adjusters role has changed in 150 Years of Evolution, it was an interactive session, where most of the attendees were able to get their questions answered. After the presentation, Mr. Krishnan our President presented the Memento from ICS to our speaker.

We also bid farewell to Mr. Patrick Lewis who served as an Admin officer for the branch for the past 8 years. His dedication and sincerity were acknowledged by presenting a Memento from ICS-ME & Head Office, Retirement certificate along with a cash award.

After which there was an open bar reception with snacks for participants sponsored by AAA.

We also had ICS open day conducted for the new and existing students where presentation for introducing to ICS and guidelines on how to register and benefits were discussed. There was a Q& A session where all the questions of students were answered by our Fellows and committee members of ICS ME.

Event Report

Workshop on Masterclass on Incoterms 2020 was conducted by ICS Middle East branch tutors along with DSAA.

 

A full-day workshop was conducted by ICS Middle East branch tutors & DSAA in the Ballroom of The Canvas Hotel, Dubai on 16th February 20 on Incoterms 2020, customized to the business model for the trading and shipping companies. It was a small amazing group of people from different firms who were keen to upgrade themselves with the knowledge that was shared in the class. The workshop included a Kahoot game on Incoterms and a case study with group presentations followed by the distribution of Certificates for Participation to all attendees.

 

Facilitators: Mr. Krishnan Subramanian FICS & Mr. Krishna Prasad FICS

Event Report

Introduction to the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) u.K.
Courses at Abu Dhabi maritime academy
Workshop on practical aspects of bills of lading.

Speakers
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1) Capt. Maktoum al houqani, chief corporate authority officer, Abu Dhabi ports & Managing director, Abu Dhabi maritime academy
2) Mr. Krishnan Subramaniam fics, president ICS Middle East
3) Mr. Krishna prasad fics, vice president & head of education ICS M