The Maritime Standard recently hosted its tenth and most well-attended Tanker Conference at Atlantis, the Palm in Dubai on October 25th, drawing over 400 participants.
The conference, with its theme "Tanker Shipping Negotiates Challenging Market Headwinds," focused on the prevailing market challenges largely influenced by geopolitical dynamics.
Impact on tanker shipping
Geopolitical influences were the focal point of discussions, with conference editor Clive Woodbridge commenting, "During the morning session, the word ‘uncertainty’ was heard so many times I lost count! There is no doubt that external factors are having a great impact on tanker shipping right now, with new tariffs and port charges, sanctions, the trade tensions between the USA and China, conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the IMO’s pause on net zero regulations and the fast pace of technological change all coming into the mix."
This sentiment captures the volatile environment in which executives must make strategic decisions.
Importance of tanker shipping
Al Nadhari discussed the various issues that impact his operations, including regulatory, operational, and insurance matters
The event featured keynote addresses from HE Sheikh Khaled Al Sabah, Acting CEO of Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), and Dr Ibrahim Al Nadhari, CEO of ASYAD Shipping & Drydocks. Sheikh Khaled highlighted the rapid transformations spurred by geopolitics, such as the influence of sanctions and the rise of the 'dark fleet'.
Despite these challenges, he emphasised the indispensable role of tanker shipping in oil supply chains. Dr. Al Nadhari discussed the various issues that impact his operations, including regulatory, operational, and insurance matters, reinforcing the need for a strategic balance between immediate actions and long-term planning to manage uncertainties and maintain profitability.
Long-term commitment to decarbonisation
In a session dedicated to sustainable strategies, panelists including Abdul Bari Alzubaidi of ADNOC Logistics & Services and Ali Abouda from Gulf Navigation Holdings discussed the importance of balancing decarbonisation with commercial objectives.
Abouda stressed, "You can no longer separate geopolitics from shipping profit and loss forecasting," a point echoed by Navin Kumar, who highlighted geopolitics as a primary driver of tanker earnings over traditional market fundamentals. Kumar also presented a 'World Uncertainties Index', noting a significant rise in volatility.
Focus on green shipping
The afternoon sessions explored how to enhance operational efficiency with a focus on sustainability. Alexandra Burke of K2 Bunker Fuel Supply advocated for integrating profitability with environmental responsibility.
Meanwhile, Han Ning from ShipBid.Net suggested that market volatility could serve as a catalyst for strengthening market positions and leveraging global shipping dynamics. Insurance strategies were spotlighted by Captain Gagan Dhillon of West of England P&I Club, who spoke on their role in mitigating financial risks arising from operational disruptions.
Trevor Pereira, Managing Director of TMS, reflected on the success of the conference, stating, "It was fantastic to have a packed house right through to the end this year and to hear so many high-quality presentations. Everyone is battling with the unpredictability of market conditions, and this was a terrific opportunity for people to discuss strategies and network to evaluate ways of combating this unprecedented period of instability in the markets."
The Maritime Standard recently held its most successful Tanker Conference yet, as over 400 delegates registered to attend in person at the Atlantis, the Palm, Dubai on Thursday October 25th.
The tenth conference in this series, which had the theme “Tanker Shipping Negotiates Challenging Market Headwinds’ was dominated by market uncertainties, caused primarily by geopolitical factors.
Impact on tanker shipping
Conference editor, Clive Woodbridge, said: “During the morning session, the word ‘uncertainty’ was heard so many times I lost count! There is no doubt that external factors are having a great impact on tanker shipping right now, with new tariffs and port charges, sanctions, the trade tensions between the USA and China, conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the IMO’s pause on net zero regulations and the fast pace of technological change all coming into the mix."
"Rarely if ever have tanker shipping executives had to make strategic decisions against a backdrop of such volatility and unpredictability.”
Importance of tanker shipping
This year’s keynote speakers were HE Sheikh Khaled Al Sabah, Acting CEO of Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) and Dr Ibrahim Al Nadhari, CEO of ASYAD Shipping & Drydocks. Sheikh Khaled noted the fast pace of change driven by geopolitics, particularly highlighting the impact of sanctions and the presence of the so called ‘dark fleet’. But positively, he stressed the continued importance of tanker shipping as the “backbone of oil supply chains.”
Geopolitics was one of a number of factors that Dr. Al Nadhairi said were keeping him awake at night, along with operational disruptions, insurance premiums, regulatory compliance and market volatility. His overall message was that there is a clear need to balance operational actions with long-term strategic planning. “This is key to navigating uncertainties and sustaining profitability in a volatile market,” he added.
Long-term commitment to decarbonisation
Other panelists in the first session of the conference, which focussed on sustainable strategies to combat uncertainties, included Abdul Bari Alzubaidi, Senior Vice President, Ship Management, ADNOC Logistics & Services; Ali Abouda, Group Financial Officer, Gulf Navigation Holdings; Nafeesa Moloobhoy, Managing Director, Moloobhoy Group of Companies; Navin Kumar, Director, Drewry Maritime Research; Bard Poulsson, Senior Vice President, Lockton; Captain Ankara Arora, Global Market Leader, Tankers, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore; and Dipak Karki, Managing Director, DK2.
Abdul Bari stressed the need for a long-term commitment to decarbonisation but said there was a need to strike a balance with commercial day-to-day business requirements. Ali Abouda made the point that, “You can no longer separate geopolitics from shipping profit and loss forecasting,” echoed by Navin Kumar who argued that “Geopolitics is now driving tanker earnings more than market fundamentals.” He presented the audience with a ‘World Uncertainties Index’ which not surprisingly had risen sharply, almost off the scale, during 2025.
Session 2 in the afternoon, was expertly moderated by Ali Shehab, Global Director of Special Projects at DNV, who was joined on stage by Richard De Vries, Vice President, Business Development, Lloyds Register; Han Ning, General Manager, ShipBid.Net; Captain Gargan Dhillon, CEO (Dubai), West of England P&I Club; Katherine Yakunchenkova; General Manager, Al Safina Security; Captain Onur Yildrim, Marine General Manager, Advanced Polymer Coatings; Alexandra Burke, CEO, K2 Bunker Fuel Supply; Roger Harfouch, Sales Director, Marlink Communications; Captain Vikas Pandey, Founder and CEO of Shipfinex; and Ramee Rashid, Director, Seamaster Maritime Group.
Focus on green shipping
Collectively, these panelists discussed how best to boost operational efficiency while maintaining a focus on green shipping. Alexandra Burke argued that the bunker sector can no longer afford to separate profitability from environmental accountability and urged collaboration between stakeholders to reshape bunker trades for a sustainable market future.
Han Ning said she believed market volatility can create both risk and opportunities for tanker shipping. “Crises should be seen as being an opportunity to strengthen market position, build flexibility and capitalise on global shipping trade dynamics,” she suggested.
Embrace insurance strategies
Gagan Dhillon stressed the need for companies to embrace insurance strategies. This he said would “help mitigate the financial impact of operational disruptions, while supporting long-term planning for fleet renewal and green investments.”
Reflecting on the positive impact of the 2025 Tanker Conference, TMS Managing Director, Trevor Pereira, added, “It was fantastic to have a packed house right through to the end this year and to hear so many high-quality presentations. Everyone is battling with the unpredictability of market conditions, and this was a terrific opportunity for people to discuss strategies and network to evaluate ways of combating this unprecedented period of instability in the markets.”
