Navigating the future of maritime trade

As global trade routes continue to evolve amid geopolitical shifts, how can classification societies play a more strategic role in enhancing the resilience, safety and continuity of maritime supply chains?

Classification societies today play a far more strategic role than simply inspecting, testing, certifying, and verifying compliance with technical standards. As global trade routes continue to evolve amid geopolitical shifts, changing regulations, and emerging operational risks, classification societies have become key enablers of safe, resilient, and uninterrupted maritime trade.

Among the many stakeholders that classification societies work closely with, regulatory authorities are undoubtedly among the most important. Our relationship with these authorities extends far beyond ensuring compliance with existing regulations. It also enables us to help shipowners, operators, and other industry stakeholders understand, interpret, and adapt to an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

During periods of geopolitical uncertainty, one of the fastest-changing aspects of the maritime industry is the regulatory environment. New sanctions, environmental requirements, trade restrictions, and operational guidelines can be introduced with little notice. In many cases, organisations struggle to keep pace with these developments and, amid the abundance of information circulating across the industry, can easily be misled by inaccurate or outdated interpretations of regulatory requirements.

This is where classification societies provide significant strategic value. Because we work closely with regulatory authorities and remain continuously engaged with international standards and evolving legislation, we are well positioned to provide timely technical guidance and advisory services. By helping our clients understand regulatory changes and implement them correctly, we enable them to remain compliant, minimise operational disruption, and continue operating safely and efficiently despite an increasingly dynamic geopolitical environment.

Beyond the vessel itself, resilience also depends on the wider maritime supply chain. Ports, shipyards, logistics providers, fuel suppliers, maintenance contractors, and critical service providers all influence safety, continuity, and compliance.

This is where TASNEEF’s Business Assurance arm adds further value. Through certification, audits, supplier assurance, conformity assessment programs, and regulatory support tools, we help organisations verify that their systems, suppliers, and processes are capable of meeting defined requirements. This supports stronger governance, better supplier control, and more reliable operational continuity across the maritime value chain.

Classification societies are no longer limited to technical verification of vessels and assets. Their role now extends to supporting regulators, shipowners, operators, ports, and maritime stakeholders with technical guidance, risk insight, digital assurance, and compliance support across the wider maritime ecosystem. By combining technical excellence, digital innovation, international collaboration, and up-to-date regulatory expertise, we play a pivotal role in strengthening the resilience, safety, and continuity of global maritime supply chains.

The UAE is rapidly strengthening its position as a global maritime and logistics hub. What role do you see Tasneef playing in advancing the nation's maritime infrastructure and supporting the next phase of industry growth?

The UAE has firmly established itself as one of the world's leading maritime and logistics hubs through its strategic location at the crossroads of major global trade routes, world-class ports and free zones, a progressive regulatory framework, and sustained investment in maritime infrastructure. As not only the UAE's, but also the Arab world's only classification society, TASNEEF proudly plays a central role in advancing the nation's maritime infrastructure and supporting the continued growth of the maritime industry across the UAE and the wider region.

In addition to providing world-class classification, certification, and related technical services, we work closely with shipowners, shipyards, ports, government entities, and industry partners to ensure that vessels and maritime assets are designed, built, operated, and maintained in accordance with the highest international standards of safety, quality, and environmental sustainability.

If we look at the numbers, the 2025 International Shipping Centre Development Index, published by Xinhua and the Baltic Exchange, ranked Dubai among the world's top five shipping hubs and the leading maritime hub in the Middle East, describing it as "the crown jewel of the Middle East's maritime sector." While in 2023, the country’s ports handled 21 million TEUs, Jebel Ali Port alone handled more than 15.5 million TEUs in 2024, its highest throughput since 2015. Furthermore, the UAE ranks first in the Arab world and ninth globally for port service efficiency, while the maritime sector contributes more than AED 135 billion annually to the country's GDP. These figures demonstrate not only the strategic importance of the maritime sector to the UAE's economy, but also the UAE's critical role in facilitating global trade and ensuring the efficiency of international maritime supply chains.

With growth of this magnitude, it is essential that the infrastructure supporting the maritime sector remains robust, resilient, and capable of sustaining future demand. This is precisely where TASNEEF plays a vital role. Through our classification, inspection, certification, audit, technical assessment, and conformity assurance services, we ensure that vessels and maritime assets continue to meet internationally recognised standards of safety, quality, and operational excellence. By helping maintain the strength and reliability of these critical assets, we enable the industry to accommodate increasing volumes of trade while reinforcing the UAE's position as a vital maritime gateway connecting East and West.

TASNEEF’s role also extends beyond vessels and maritime assets. Through TASNEEF-RINA Business Assurance, we support the wider maritime ecosystem, including ports, logistics companies, shipyards, maritime service providers, suppliers, and government programs.

This includes management system certification, audit programs, supplier qualification, conformity assessment schemes, regulatory tools, and assurance services that help organisations improve safety, quality, environmental performance, and operational reliability. As the UAE maritime sector grows, this wider assurance role becomes increasingly important because infrastructure strength depends not only on physical assets, but also on the competence, systems, and suppliers that operate around them.

As the UAE's maritime sector continues to grow, we are also investing heavily in innovation. Through AI-driven inspection technologies, intelligent modelling, robotic process automation (RPA), and advanced technical solutions, we are improving the precision, efficiency, reliability, and resilience of maritime operations and assets while supporting the industry's digital transformation.

At the same time, we continue to expand our international recognition, strengthen our relationships with flag administrations, and extend our regional and global presence. For instance, we have recently obtained flag authorisation from the Commonwealth of Dominica and case-by-case authorisation from the Togo Flag Administration, increasing the total number of our authorised flags to 17. This not only enhances TASNEEF's capabilities but also reinforces the UAE's reputation as a trusted centre of maritime excellence with internationally recognised technical expertise.

Looking ahead, we see TASNEEF playing an even greater role in supporting emerging technologies, decarbonisation initiatives, smart vessel development, offshore and naval projects, and the continued advancement of the UAE's maritime sector. Our objective is to ensure that the UAE remains at the forefront of global maritime innovation while delivering safe, sustainable, and internationally recognised classification and assurance services.

From digitalisation and AI-driven inspections to smart vessel technologies, which innovations do you believe will have the greatest impact on maritime classification and regulatory compliance over the next decade?

The maritime industry, like every other industry, has entered an era where digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and automation are fundamentally reshaping how work is done, from designing and inspecting to certifying and operating vessels. With so many groundbreaking innovations emerging, including AI and smart vessel technologies, it is difficult to identify a single innovation that will have the greatest impact on the maritime sector over the next decade.

Artificial intelligence has undoubtedly become one of the defining technologies of our generation and is no longer just a buzzword. At TASNEEF, we have partnered with specialised companies to deliver AI-based inspection and intelligent modelling solutions aimed at digitising maritime infrastructure and enhancing the management of critical and strategic assets.

We are also engaging with AI-focused companies to optimise processes related to plan approval and the review of designs against IMO requirements, international regulations, and classification rules through AI-powered agents and copilots.

In addition, TASNEEF has developed and implemented robotic process automation (RPA) across various procedures, checklists, and rule-based workflows, resulting in a 90 per cent reduction in processing time while significantly improving operational efficiency and optimising manpower utilisation.

Digitalisation also changes the way assurance is delivered. In Business Assurance, we see growing demand for remote audits, digital evidence review, data-driven compliance monitoring, cybersecurity certification, and assurance over digital management systems.

As maritime organisations adopt AI, automation, digital twins, and connected infrastructure, the industry will need stronger assurance over data integrity, system reliability, cybersecurity, and governance. The future of compliance will not only depend on inspecting physical assets; it will also depend on verifying the digital systems and processes that support safe and compliant operations.Therefore, AI has already proven its significance in classification activities, and we are confident that the maritime industry will become safer, smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable as it continues its digital transformation. This evolution, often referred to as Industry 4.0, is fundamentally changing the way the maritime industry operates.

Other technologies that are transforming maritime classification include aerial drones, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), robotic crawlers, live-streaming solutions, and other remote inspection technologies, all of which are enabling safer, faster, and more efficient survey and inspection processes.

However, if I were to identify one innovation that has captured my attention the most, it would be the application of digital twins in classification. I believe this technology has the potential to fundamentally transform inspection and classification by almost eliminating the need for surveyors to physically board vessels or other maritime infrastructure.

With the help of this technology, classification activities could quite effectively be performed through the use of comprehensive 3D digital models of ships and maritime assets. Rather than relying solely on traditional 2D drawings, classification societies can inspect a single digital model from anywhere in the world. This enables more efficient design reviews, and improved decision-making throughout the lifecycle of an asset.

Through 3D classification, users can perform technical calculations, exchange information, and address classification comments while relying on the digital model itself. While this technology is currently being used for hull structure reviews, they are expected to expand further into areas such as fire safety, stability, and machinery systems. More importantly, shipowners can continue using the digital twin throughout the vessel's operational life, creating a continuously evolving digital record that supports maintenance, inspections, modifications, and future classification activities.

I believe digital twins have the potential to redefine the future of maritime classification, and I am excited to see how this technology continues to evolve and become more widely adopted across our industry.

Having said that, it is important to remember that technology should be embraced rather than feared. As I often say, survival today is no longer about being the fittest, it is about being the fastest to adapt to change. Technology will not replace the expertise of classification societies; it will enhance it. The future of maritime classification lies in combining engineering excellence with digital intelligence to deliver faster, more accurate, and more proactive assurance services while maintaining the highest standards of safety, compliance, and environmental responsibility.

As decarbonisation moves to the top of the global shipping agenda, how is Tasneef helping shipowners and operators navigate the transition towards greener fleets, alternative fuels and more sustainable maritime operations?

TASNEEF is the UAE's very own classification society, established to serve the nation's maritime sector. At the same time, we continue to grow internationally with the ambition of becoming a member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) by 2032. These two identities clearly define our priorities, as the UAE's national classification society and as an organisation aspiring to meet the highest international standards.

As the UAE's national classification society, we believe it is essential that our work aligns with the country's long-term vision and strategic priorities. In 2021, the UAE launched the Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, becoming the first nation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to commit to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Supporting this national vision is a responsibility that we take very seriously.

Through our classification, inspection, testing, and certification activities, we ensure that vessels and maritime assets comply with the latest environmental regulations and international standards, enabling shipowners and operators to improve environmental performance, reduce emissions, and contribute to the UAE's sustainability objectives. While no single organisation can achieve net zero on its own, classification societies have a critical role in ensuring that maritime assets are designed, built, and operated in a manner that supports the industry's transition towards a lower-carbon future.

At the same time, our ambitions extend beyond the UAE. As an aspiring IACS member, we are equally committed to supporting the objectives established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), including its strategy to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping by or around 2050. As a classification society responsible for verifying the safety, compliance, and technical integrity of vessels, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to ensure that ships under our class meet these evolving environmental requirements.

Achieving the maritime industry's environmental ambitions, however, requires far more than regulatory compliance. It demands close collaboration between classification societies, shipowners, technology providers, and regulators to ensure that new technologies are implemented safely, efficiently, and in accordance with international standards.

At TASNEEF, we support shipowners and operators throughout this transition by providing classification, statutory certification, technical advisory services, and assessments that help them comply with international safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.

Speaking of alternative fuels such as LNG, ammonia, methanol, and others, if and when the use of these fuels on ships becomes more widespread, the responsibility of ensuring that they are safe to use, and that vessels meet the necessary requirements for their safe adoption, will certainly fall on classification societies such as ourselves. It is one thing to discover or identify an alternative fuel with lower emissions, but it is another to ensure that it is safe to use for the protection of life on board, the vessel itself, and the cargo it carries. That is our responsibility, ensuring lower emissions, but always within the framework of safety.

In parallel, we continue to work with industry partners to promote decarbonisation and digitalisation across the maritime sector. Our recent collaboration with Exalto Emirates is one example of how we are supporting the adoption of compliant, high-quality marine solutions that contribute to safer, smarter, and more environmentally responsible operations.

As the industry continues to explore alternative fuels, smart vessel technologies, and next-generation propulsion systems, TASNEEF remains committed to strengthening its technical capabilities, expanding its international collaborations, and contributing to research and development. Our objective is to provide shipowners and operators with the technical assurance they need to embrace innovation while maintaining the highest standards of safety, reliability, and environmental stewardship.

Business Assurance also plays an important role in the decarbonisation transition. Greener shipping requires more than vessel technology. It requires credible environmental management systems, reliable emissions data, supplier controls, ESG assurance, and verification of sustainability-related claims.

Through services such as environmental management system certification, GHG-related assurance, supplier audits, and conformity assessment programs, TASNEEF-RINA Business Assurance can support shipowners, operators, ports, and maritime suppliers in building the systems needed to manage this transition in a structured and credible way.

Decarbonisation is not simply an environmental obligation; it is a shared responsibility. Classification societies have a unique role to play in ensuring that innovation is implemented safely, consistently, and responsibly, helping to build a greener maritime industry for future generations.