Our chair met up with Captain Richard Phillips who protected his crew against pirates on Maersk Alabama in 2009, a well known story also documented in the blockbuster movie starrring Tom Hanks. Amazing.
The Maersk Alabama hijacking led to a series of maritime events that began on 9 April 2009, when four pirates in the Indian Ocean seized the American cargo ship Maersk Alabama at a distance of 240 nautical miles (440 km; 280 mi) southeast of Eyl, Somalia. The siege ended after a rescue effort by the United States Navy on 12 April.
This is a great legendary example on leadership and another reason to be proud of our company.
Reuters in an article writes that Saudi Arabia has amended its rules on imports from other Gulf Cooperation Council countries to exclude goods made in free zones or using Israeli input from preferential tariff concessions, in a bid to challenge the United Arab Emirates’ status as the region’s trade and business hub.
Despite being close allies, Saudi Arabia and the neighbouring UAE are competing to attract investors and businesses. Saudi Arabia – the biggest importer in the region – is trying to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil, while providing more jobs for its own citizens, a point also covered by the rule changes announced at the weekend.
Saudi Arabia will henceforth exclude from the GCC tariff agreement goods made by companies with a workforce made up of less than 25% of local people and industrial products with less than 40% of added value after their transformation process.
The ministerial decree published on the Saudi official gazette Umm al-Qura said all goods made in free zones in the region will not be considered locally made.
Free zones, a major driver of the UAE’s economy, are areas in which foreign companies can operate under light regulation, and where foreign investors are allowed to take 100% ownership in companies.
According to the decree, goods that contain a component made or produced in Israel or manufactured by companies owned fully or partially by Israeli investors or by companies listed in the Arab boycott agreement regarding Israel, will be disqualified.
Source: Reuters
IBMATA are pleased to announce our inaugural Border Management & Technologies Summit Europe conference and exhibition which will take place in London on the 11th-13th July 2022 at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London.
These are the confirmed soeakers;
- Kevin Foster MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Future Borders and Immigration)
- Steve Armitage, Head of Technology Design and Innovation, Heathrow Airport
- Krum Garkov, Executive Director, EU-LISA
- Olivier Onidi, Deputy Director General, Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
- Oliver St John, Deputy Director – Border Strategy, Governance and Innovation, Cabinet Office, UK
- Tony Smith, Chairman, International Border Management and Technologies Association (IBMATA)
- Egert Belitsev, Deputy Director General for Border Management, Estonia Border Guards
- Iliuta Cumpanasu, Deputy Head for the Implementation of the Integrated Border Management Strategies, Border Police, Romania
- Captain Marcel Veul, Head, Targeting Center Borders, National Tactical Command, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee
- Simon Watkin, Head of Border Data Policy, Border Security and Identity Unit, UK Home Office
- Darren Hart, Deputy Director, Data and Detection Systems Strategy, UK Border Force
- Samedin Mehmeti, General Director, Kosovo Police Force
- Colonel Ragip Bunjaku, Director, Kosovo Border Police
- Jean-Francois Lennon, Vice President of Strategic Sales and Global Partnerships, Vision-Box
- Max Hacon, HMRC
- Lars Karlsson, Chairman of Advisory Board, International Border Management and Technologies Association (IBMATA)
- Jon Payne, Director Business Development, Identity Verification, Entrust
- Dave Harmon, Director, Business Development, Gatekeeper Intelligent Security
- Donato Colucci, Head, Border and Identity Solutions (BIS) Unit, International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
- John Drever, Technical Director for Future Borders, Atkins
- Frank Heijmann, Head of Strategic Development, Dutch Customs
- Andy Smith, Director, Government and Industry Relations, SITA
- Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive, British Ports Association
- Nolan Gray, Tees Valley Combined Authority
- Ian Hampton, Stenaline
- Shenali Jashani, Senior Business Consultant – Customs and International Trade, Fujitsu
- Naim Hoxha, National Organised Crime Advisor, OSCE Mission in Kosovo
- Shanker Singham, CEO, Competere
- Istvan Ordog, Senior Asylum Processes Officer, European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA)
- Senior Representative, Tajikistan Border Guards
I will be there as moderator and speaker, will you?
To register, click here: https://ibmata.glueup.com/event/50804/register/
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