SGM has recently concluded the process of opening a commercial office in the Dubai North free- trade zone in the UAE, in pursuance of our Indian Ocean rim growth ambitions. Dubai and indeed the entire Middle East region, as well as the sub-continent, is becoming increasingly important in terms of the number of traders, majors, ship owners and managers doing business from this region with our offices in Africa, SE Asia and Australasia.
In the case of the Arabian Gulf, there is a lot of trade with East Africa in particular. The sub-continent and specifically India is very important to our Australian business, and trade between Africa and India continues to grow at a healthy pace.
We are pleased to announce that Derek Fernandes joins us at SGM Dubai LLC as part of this expansion. Derek hails from an operational and commercial background. He started his career in operations with Patvolk & Nedlloyd lines in Mumbai where he spent nine years before joining ISS in Dubai where he has spent the last 25 years, culminating in the role of Senior General Manager Commercial with responsibility for the Middle East, India and Africa. Accordingly, Derek brings with him a wealth of knowledge and strong commercial relationships built up over a lengthy period.
Please join us in welcoming Derek on board. We trust he can count on your support as he steps into the challenging role of promoting and developing our interests in the Middle East and the sub-continent.
Contributor: Clive James