The Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis joined Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Greece’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias and Qatar’s Minister of Transport Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani in a panel discussion entitled ‘Winds of Change: Ministers at the Helm of Maritime Transformation’ panel discussion.
The discussion took place on the first day of the ongoing Maritime Cyprus 2025 conference in Limassol.
Hadjimanolis began the discussion, responding to a moderator question on the role regional and multilateral platforms such as the IMO play in aligning maritime policies at close borders.
Starting off by noting that although she was the only woman on the panel of Ministers, she said that it was important to point out that she never felt alone, “And this is because of the friendships that have been created these years together.”
Hadjimanolis continued that during his earlier address at Maritime Cyprus, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez had underlined the importance of discussions such as this one. “It's here that we learn about the characteristics of each and every country because when we go to IMO to discuss, each country has its own interests to promote. So, it is important to have a unilateral approach.”
The Deputy Minster continued that it was important for countries to understand the characteristicso f all their partners, “And by collaborating together, we can come to the conclusion about what we want for our industry. Because we want pragmatic solutions. And by discussing, we can reach this conclusion. We need to collaborate, we need to learn from each other, we need to understand each other, and we need to have an open mind. “
Hadjimanolis said that it was also important for ministers to listen to industry stakeholders so that “decisions are not taken for them but with them.”
Strengthening collaboration
Responding to a moderator question on how coastal flag and port states can further strengthen collaboration and enhance safety, efficiency, and innovation in the maritime sector, Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa noted, “I believe effective maritime partnerships are the foundation of global maritime. “
His Excellency continued that this involves three key rules for states, “So first we have flag states who are responsible for ensuring their registered vessels comply with international standards through continuous oversight. And then we have the coastal states who are responsible for protecting their territory of the waters and preserving their resources. And when it comes to port states, they have a cautious supervisory role, especially in inspecting vessels to verify compliance with international standards before they arrive to the ports themselves.”
To facilitate this cooperation, Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications continued, several frameworks and initiatives are in place, including particular agreements around the world and the Global Integrated Shipping Information System.
“This system enhances transparency and cooperation by allowing longtime authorities to share real-time inspection,” Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa explained.
He continued that digitalisation was a popular talking point in the industry, including technology helping countries develop early warning systems for maritime hazards using artificial intelligence in advanced sectors.
Maintaining resilient supply chains
Greece’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias was asked to comment on how governments and industry can work together to maintain resilient and cost-efficient supply chains amid global trade shifts.
He noted that Greece and Cyprus-flagged ships made up 20% of the global community. “We're very, very proud of that. This is a huge legacy in terms of job opportunities, in terms of growth, energy-wise, in terms of the leverage that is gained in diplomacy, in politics,” Kikilias said.
The Minister continued that he agreed with IMO’s General Secretary on the importance of trying to pinpoint and find the key essence of where we agree, we can come together.
“It's essential also to be pragmatic and understand the world where we work. There are parts of the industry and important key factors and players here and shipowners...we're working with them. And we're trying to make everybody understand that it's essential for us,” he said.
Kikilias suggested it was vital for agreements that were in the pipeline to move ahead, cautioning, “Europe does not have time. We do not have time. And globally, as most things are evolving, a decision should be taken now, and not after one year or two years or five years, as I heard.”
He said this was particularly important when it came to Green Energy.
Targeted investments
Asked to talk about how targeted investments in ports, label capabilities, and advanced infrastructure can strengthen security and operational readiness while supporting regional stability, Qatar’s Minister of Transport Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani underlined that investment plays a vital role in creating more efficiency and market growth.
His Excellency noted that investment also aided political stability, “and can help through developing connected networks around the countries and make more current integration between different countries. And that, in turn, really helps the investment not only currently but also politically among the countries.”
The Minister highlighted the importance of maritime routes for the global economy and said that any disarray in them immediately reflects on the stability of markets and economic development, something which makes their security and sustainability a shared international responsibility.
Highlighting Qatar’s ongoing efforts to develop its maritime industry, the Minister noted that Hamad Port has become one of the most advanced ports in the region thanks to its advanced infrastructure and growing capacity. He also said that Qatar continues cementing its regional and international partnerships to ensure the flow of trade, safely and efficiently.
Additionally, the Minister said that Qatar developed a national strategy for the logistics services sector to transform the country into a leading global hub in transportation and supply chains through diversifying modes of transportation, developing the logistics zones and connecting them with sustainability goals in line with national development goals and the QNV 2030.
Emerging technologies
Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, was then asked to comment on how emerging technologies such as digitalisation, automation, and AI can support both operational efficiency and sustainability.
“The maritime industry is undergoing A tremendous transformation when it comes to digitalisation and optimisation,” the minister said, noting that, "Some studies have identified that utilising AI in the shipping industry may reduce fuel consumption by 14%. In line with departmentalisation, applying AI into the shipping industry would reduce that through finding the most optimized shipping routes to reach the airport, support scheduling, timing, and arrival, and can certainly contribute to the reduction of the cost.”
His Excellent went on to note that, looking at shipping as a whole, it was based on two main elements, cost and time efficiency. “ So, focusing on that with the common dynamic here of having efficiency, it would be very much relevant to look into digitalisation and incorporating it within the shipping industry. If we look into, for example, the Internet of Things, where sensors are applied throughout the technical infrastructure within the shipping industry itself, it will give you real-time data development and predict what might be maintenance and when it would limit out the downtime of ships.”
This same approach would reduce the wastage of time and energy, he said, continuing, “It is time to reintroduce technology and digitalisation to focus on optimisation and to focus on efficiency. We do believe this is possible both for the shipping industry and for the port itself. We in Bahrain, for example, have already initiated this at Khalifa Bin Salman Port, our main port.”
As the Minister pointed out, this year, the Port was declared the most efficient in the world, “And that is due to digitalisation and automation.”
Addressing the seafarer shortage
Greece’s Minister, Vassilis Kikilias, was then asked how governments, industry, and educational institutions can collaborate to address the seafarer shortage and future skill gaps.
“Back in the day in Greece, it was very, very common for some of the sons in a family to turn to shipping professionally. In the last 50 years of the recent Greek democracy, the trend has turned to the public sector in terms of funding, in terms of wages, in terms of assuring a secure future.”
He said that the Greek government was now preparing a bill to be introduced within the last two months of the year towards encouraging private and state universities to consider maritime careers, especially since new technology had eclipsed many of the difficulties that used to put young people off.
Hadjimanolis also shared her view on the topic, noting, “We all know that the maritime industry thrives because of its people. And as technology drives forward, we need to stop and understand that without the skilling, reskilling of these people, we cannot move forward.” Concluding, the Minister said that a joint effort was required to re-educate young people on the benefits of a maritime career.
The discussion was moderated by Cyprus Mail journalist Souzana Psara.
