The UAE has made it to the list of the top 35 countries worldwide with the largest shipping fleets, based on a report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for 2024. The report also recognized other Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar.
In addition, the Gulf region is making waves in the global maritime industry. Ten Gulf ports were named among the 70 most efficient in the world, out of 405 ports, according to the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC-Stat). The Gulf commercial fleet also made up 54.2% of the total Arab fleet in 2023.
On top of that, the region’s ports are showing impressive container productivity. Two Gulf ports have been recognized for handling over 4 million containers, and eight others fall into the medium-production category, handling between 0.5 million and 4 million containers.
The GCC countries are also excelling in sustainable port development, making these ports global logistics hubs. The GCC’s Unified Maritime Operations Centre has also been key in ensuring the security and freedom of navigation in the region, strengthening both safety and stability for global shipping.
