According to the 2022 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index Report, Dubai is the best transportation centre in the Arab world and the fifth best worldwide.
The top five international shipping and logistics hubs in 2022 are Singapore, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Dubai.
The 2022 Xinhua-Baltic index measures the performance efficiency of the world's biggest cities that provide shipping enterprises with services.
The index assessed 43 locations based on port throughput and infrastructure, the availability of professional marine support services, and the overall business atmosphere.
Respectively, Hamburg and New York/New Jersey ranked seventh and eighth in the shipping centre ranking.
The top ten cities, including Dubai at the fifth rank, have maintained a relatively similar ranking since 2021. That allowed the UAE to remain the only Middle Eastern country to make it to the top-ten list.
Resilience as a ranking factor
According to the news sources, COVID-19-related constraints had a significant influence on economies throughout the world. The high demand for a quick recovery in global trade has pressured supply chains internationally.
The ongoing Ukraine crisis reimposes similar pressures on the global supply chain that are affecting global trade growth. However, according to the 2022 Xinhua-Baltic index report, amid this pressure and the worrying economic growth projections, Dubai serves as a valuable and intrinsic shipping centre for global trade and prosperity.
Thanks to the established ports, facilities, and infrastructure provided for investments, including Dubai World Central (DWC) and other similar purpose-built cities.
According to the report, the move to allow foreign ownership of specific ocean freight enterprises advances the UAE's goal of presenting itself as an appealing alternative for worldwide investment.
The report was conducted in cooperation with the Chinese state news outlet Xinhua and an international freight benchmark company, Baltic Exchange. It is worth noting that the 2022 report underlines the importance of innovation and digitalization for marine performance over the next decade. It also demonstrates how resilient and robust global supply systems can be when faced with obstacles.
Sources:
- Report: The 2022 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index-PDF
- Deepthi Nair, Dubai ranks as the best shipping center in the Arab world and fifth globally, The National News.
- Article: Shanghai remains in 3rd place in the ISC20 ranking for 2022, Xinhua-Baltic report-Hellenic Shipping News.
