DSAA Roundtable Examines Maritime Resilience and Regional Trade Pressures
Shipping Arabia, July 14, 2026 – Senior executives from the carrier, port and logistics sectors have called for closer industry coordination and longer-term planning to strengthen supply chain resilience amid continuing pressure on regional and global trade.
The discussion took place during the Dubai Shipping Agents Association’s inaugural Industry Roundtable, held July 8 under the theme, “Beyond Adaptation: Navigating Current Maritime Pressures & What Comes Next.”
Organized by DSAA’s Legal, Advocacy and Policy Committee, the closed-door session provided a platform for maritime leaders to examine operational and commercial challenges and consider how the industry can move beyond short-term responses to disruption.
Speakers included Capt. Swaminathan Rajagopalan, general manager of CMA CGM UAE; Khalid Al Ali, vice president for commercial at DP World GCC; and Laurence Langdon, general manager of Modern Freight Company. The session was moderated by Madhu Madathil, chairman of the DSAA Legal, Advocacy and Policy Committee.
Participants said resilience increasingly depends on the wider maritime ecosystem’s ability to maintain cargo flows through collaboration, agility and coordinated decision-making, rather than on the actions of individual companies alone.
The discussion reviewed how carriers, port operators and logistics providers have responded to changing operating conditions through alternative routing, multimodal transport, stronger regional connectivity and closer coordination across the supply chain.
Participants also highlighted the UAE’s role in maintaining trade continuity during recent regional developments, noting the importance of cooperation among industry stakeholders, service providers and government authorities in supporting Dubai’s maritime and logistics network.
Commercial pressures, including equipment availability, container positioning, operational continuity and changing customer expectations, were also discussed. Executives stressed the need for flexible planning and stronger alignment across the sector as market conditions continue to evolve.
Despite the challenges, participants expressed cautious optimism that the industry’s ability to innovate and act collectively has improved.
The roundtable is the first in a planned series of executive discussions under the DSAA committee, aimed at promoting dialogue, knowledge sharing and coordinated responses to issues affecting the maritime sector.
Source: Dubai Shipping Agents Association
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