-Jagdamba Pandey

The Maritime Standard Awards has celebrated its tenth anniversary in a special ceremony packed with its traditional quality, glitz, and glamour. The event, which took place on Tuesday November 7th at The Atlantis on The Palm, Dubai, attracted a record-breaking attendance with over 1100 guests packed into the ballroom, all of whom enjoyed a Greek-themed gala dinner and top-class live entertainment.

Once again, the TMS Awards were held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman Emirates Airline and Group, who has supported the event from the very beginning. His Highness received a special Visionary Leadership Award which was presented in person by The Maritime Standard Managing Director, Trevor Pereira, and which was relayed on the screen to those present.

The special guest of honour on the night, attending for the first time, was Sheikh Khaled Al Sabah, CEO of Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC). Sheikh Sabah and other VIPs also joined Trevor on stage for a cake cutting ceremony, to mark the10th anniversary, which got the event off to an upbeat start.
The keynote speech was given by Capt. Mohammed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director & Group Chief Executive of Abu Dhabi Ports Authority. Congratulating the TMS team on its achievement, he said, “This is an important night of celebration after a decade of progress, during which time the Awards have set the benchmark for quality and integrity in our industry. It is testament to the Awards’ reputation and the esteem in which they are held that we have so many people in the ballroom tonight, with guests from across the region and internationally as well.”

The entire proceedings were kept running smoothly by the master of ceremonies, Gavin Esler, one of the world’s most respected broadcasters and presenters, who shared some interesting anecdotes and observations from a career spent interviewing politicians and entertainment stars at the top of their careers. He was well supported by local presenter, Rania Ali, who added her usual style and professionalism to proceedings.

The evening witnessed the presentation of 32 different awards, covering different aspects of the maritime industry, as well as special awards for individual achievement. Big winners on the night included ADNOC L&S, which collected four trophies, and Bahri, which picked up three of the iconic TMS Awards.

Notable individual awards went to Idris Shahpurwalla, of Saifee Ship Spare Parts and Chandlers, for Young Person in Shipping; Catriona Jayasundera, of Colombo International Container Terminals, for Woman in Shipping; Captain Ammar Al Shaba of AD Ports Group for Outstanding Achievement; Dr Anil Sharma, of GMS, who received the Excellence Award; Eng Ahmed Alsubaey of Bahri, for Personality of the Year; and Rashid Isa Rishi Al Heddi, of Seamaster Maritime, who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, the TMS Editor’s Choice Award was presented by Clive Woodbridge, TMS Editor, to Capt. BK Tyagi, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Shipping Corporation of India. A link to the full list of winners can be found here.

Reflecting on a night to be remembered, Trevor added, “It was wonderful to see so many people in the ballroom. The support we have received from the industry over the past decade has been very humbling and I would like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for showing faith in us. We look forward to welcoming everyone back again in 2024.”

Marex Media