CLASSIFICATION leaders from IR Class/IACS and Bureau Veritas have joined the influential speakers who will address the Qatar Maritime and Logistics Summit in Doha on February 18.

Arun Sharma, who stepped up to the position of chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies, served for 15 years with Indian owners Shipping Corporation of India and Great Eastern Shipping before joining IR Class.

His expertise in the chartering, technical, and marketing teams gave him a good insight into the broad range of issues covered by classification. As chairman of the class societies’ association, Mr Sharma is aware of the list of tasks to be achieved.

“We need to make sure our quality keeps improving at IACS step by step,” he said. This will involve an International Quality Assessment Review Body, good progress on emissions control and a data-driven policy, and an increased level of communication with IMO. Mr Sharma will outline the IACS strategy at the Doha Summit.

Pascal Poilliot, regional chief executive for the Middle East Marine and Offshore at Bureau Veritas, joined the French class society in 1988, and served as a surveyor, then as a manager in France, Greece, China, the Philippines, the Mediterranean and the Gulf region. He will explain the importance of safety throughout the maritime and logistics sectors, and how to bring safety best practice to every part of the supply chain.

The Qatar Summit will hear a keynote speech from the chief executive of Qatar National Bank on financing sustainable shipping. There will be presentations from Mwani Qatar, the ports authority, QTerminals, and Qatar Free Zones Authority on the evolving transport hubs in the Gulf and further afield, and on how maritime and logistics players can work with ports and terminal operators to create the intelligent supply chain.

Transportation and cargo handling throughout the supply chain must acknowledge the influence of key responsibilities: safety of life, security of assets, and protection of the environment. These will be highlighted by Abdulrahman Al Mannai, chief executive of Qatar shipowner Milaha and Ranjeev Menon, chief executive of Gulf Warehousing Company.

Richard Clayton, chief correspondent at Lloyd’s List, will chair the summit and deliver the final presentation on ‘Leadership in an ethical, sustainable, and safe environment’.

The Qatar Maritime & Logistics Summit will be held at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel in Doha on Tuesday February 18, with guided tours and a gala dinner on Wednesday February 19, 2020.

For further details and registration, click here.