MMC 2026 to Feature Experts in Security, Port Development and Maritime Law

The Maldives Maritime Conference 2026, scheduled to take place on 15 April 2026, will convene a distinguished panel of regional and international experts in security, port development and maritime law, reinforcing the country’s efforts to strengthen governance and resilience across its maritime sector. Hosted by Maldives Ports Limited, the conference builds on the foundation laid by its inaugural edition in 2024 and continues to position itself as a central platform for strategic maritime dialogue.

Set against the backdrop of evolving global shipping dynamics and heightened regional security considerations, MMC 2026 will gather policymakers, defence officials, shipping executives, academics and institutional representatives to examine both immediate operational challenges and long term structural priorities for the industry.

Among the confirmed speakers is Brigadier General Dr Hussain Ibrahim, Director General of the Ministry of Defence of Maldives and Chairman of SIFCO Welfare Company of MNDF. His participation underscores the growing alignment between maritime development and national security planning. Colonel Ahmed Mujuthaba Mohamed, Defence Advisor to the Maldives National Defence Force for the United Kingdom and the Republic of Türkiye, will also contribute to discussions surrounding regional cooperation and strategic maritime oversight.

From the commercial shipping sector, Captain Ahmed Zubair, Deputy Managing Director of Maldives State Shipping Company, is expected to provide insight into fleet operations, logistics efficiency and national shipping capacity. As the Maldives seeks to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities and improve connectivity, industry level perspectives remain central to policy planning.

Legal and regulatory discussions will be informed by Mr Esat Guzel, Head of the Maritime Law Commission at the Turkey Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges Mediation and Arbitration Center. With international maritime compliance frameworks becoming increasingly complex, strengthened legal infrastructure and arbitration mechanisms are critical to maintaining trade confidence.

Academic and institutional voices will further shape the conference agenda. Prof Dato’ Sri Dr Captain Razali Yaacob of Netherlands Maritime University College and Dr Chong Ju Chae of World Maritime University are set to address capacity building and policy innovation. Dr Athaullah Rasheed of The Maldives National University and Dr Azmath Jaleel, member of the Governing Board of the International Ocean Institute in Malta, will provide perspectives on ocean governance, sustainability and strategic research.

Global port and trade development networks will be represented by Ms Chloe Rowland of the International Association of Ports and Harbors and Mr Mark Assaf of UN Trade and Development’s TrainForTrade programme. Their contributions are expected to focus on data collaboration, risk resilience and maritime human resource development. Additional operational insight will be offered by Mr Sharishen Bin Redzuan Perpinder of Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia, and Dr Alaa Morsy of the Arab Academy for Science Technology and Maritime Transport.

The conference programme will explore emerging maritime threats, port and ship security, maritime law and international cooperation, as well as safety at sea and emergency response. Organisers have indicated that the platform is designed to move beyond dialogue toward actionable collaboration among maritime authorities, logistics operators, environmental agencies and strategic stakeholders.

Further details on the agenda, speaker profiles and participation opportunities are available through the official website at https://mmc.port.mv/, with partnership inquiries directed to mmc@port.mv.

For the Maldives, where trade, tourism and fisheries are intrinsically linked to maritime transport systems, the depth and breadth of expertise assembled for MMC 2026 signals a strategic focus on strengthening institutional capacity and regulatory alignment. As regional competition intensifies and ocean governance becomes more complex, sustained investment in maritime security, port efficiency and international cooperation will remain central to safeguarding economic stability and long term growth.