 The exactEarth stand at Dimdex 2016 (Photo: NavyRecognition) |
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The
waterways of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are among the most
important in the world as they facilitate trade in the Eastern and Western
world through the Red Sea and Suez Canal on top of exportation of most
of the globe’s oil and natural gas. Ship traffic density in the
MENA region has seen a sharp increase in the last 5 years and a key factor
has been the major trade flows from Asia to North America and Europe,
which have increased the role of shipping, while the UAE's nine seaports
and the fact that it is the world’s third-largest re-export market
means it handles around half of all containers in the entire region. Earlier
in the year, reports from The National indicated that cruise traffic into
Abu Dhabi will increase by 25% as thousands flock to the exciting capital. The MENA region is facing complex maritime issues ranging from migration concerns, relief aid as well as piracy events all while nations continue to debate their marine borders. In recent years the greatest regional threat has been piracy despite tactical measures that have reduced the number of attacks in the Red Sea and have driven the threats away from the Bab el-Mandab Strait further east along the Yemeni cost of the Indian Ocean according to the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Meanwhile, an increase in the number of migrants fleeing conflicts in the MENA region will place considerable strain on Mediterranean shipping routes. |
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 Satellite AIS data from exactEarth shows the increase in ship traffic density for the MENA region over the last 5 years (Photo exactEarth) |
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Outside
of these concerns remains the fact that the Strait of Hormuz represents
the most important strategic chokepoint by volume of oil transit with
oil flow of 17 million barrels per day in 2013 states the US Energy Information
Administration. Almost 30% of all seaborne-traded oil flows through the
Strait of Hormuz. According to Nana Brew, Regional Sales Director for exactEarth Middle East and Africa, governments in the MENA region are also becoming increasingly concerned about the activities of small vessels in the region. “We have seen government in the region enacting legislation to compel the small vessels including fishing boats to show their position and activities in the maritime domain,” stated Mr. Brew. “This means that we will soon see a dramatic increase in vessel traffic in the region and the scale of the challenges faced by the Navy, coastguard etc.” A number of factors contribute to the rise in maritime traffic throughout the MENA region with no signs of shipping activity decreasing. Satellite AIS data is uniquely capable of providing a complete picture of vessel traffic in and around the region with accurate vessel information such as heading, course and speed along with destination to know exactly which ships are coming into MENA ports. |
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exactEarth presents its ship tracking and maritime situational awareness solutions at Dimdex 2016
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