Dubai has cemented its place as a leading global maritime hub, ranking fifth in the 2024 International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCD) — the fifth consecutive year the emirate has held that position and the only Arab city to feature in the index's top 20.
Dubai Leads the Arab World in the 2024 ISCD
The annual ISCD report, published in cooperation by the Baltic Exchange and Xinhua News Agency, ranks international shipping centres by their competitive ability to attract maritime business and their overall impact on global trade. Dubai placed fifth, joining Singapore, London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong at the summit of the global shipping industry.
The report, titled Dubai Reinforces Its Position as a Leading Maritime Powerhouse in the Middle East, highlights the emirate's sustained advancement in the maritime segment — driven in part by regulatory reforms that brought new levels of transparency to the sector.
Container-Fee Transparency Rule Boosts Standing
A key factor behind Dubai's 2024 ranking is Instruction No. 1 for 2023, issued by the Dubai Maritime Authority. The directive requires all service providers to disclose local container fees through the Dubai Trade portal, improving service organisation and openness across the port ecosystem. The move was widely credited with strengthening confidence among international shipping operators.
COP28 Maritime Partnerships Strengthen Dubai's Position
Dubai's success in the index was further bolstered by its hosting of COP28 in 2023, during which seven international partnerships focused on decarbonisation and maritime sustainability were established. The achievement underscored the emirate's commitment to building an environmentally responsible maritime ecosystem alongside its commercial growth.
What Officials Said
Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of the Ports, Customs, and Free Zone Corporation, credited the ranking to Dubai's consistent focus on innovation, sustainability, and infrastructure. He linked the result directly to the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the emirate's long-term blueprint to double the size of its economy by 2033.
Sheikh Dr. Saeed bin Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Executive Director of the Dubai Maritime City Authority, emphasised the sector's strategic importance to the emirate's economy and its goal of integrating air, land, and sea transport into a unified logistics network.
Dubai's Maritime Ambitions
The ISCD provides an annual benchmark of long-term maritime competitiveness, and Dubai's consistent presence near the top of the rankings reflects a deliberate, multi-year strategy. By combining regulatory reform, sustainability commitments, and world-class port infrastructure, Dubai continues to position itself as the undisputed maritime leader in the Arab world — and a genuine rival to the world's greatest shipping nations.
