Dubai Council for Wooden Ships

The Dubai Council for Wooden Ships is a specialized business group established in March 2022 under the umbrella of Dubai Chamber of Commerce. Operating as a non-profit entity, the Council serves as a unified voice for companies engaged in Dubai's wooden ships sector, bringing together a diverse range of businesses involved in this traditional yet economically significant maritime industry. The Council works in close cooperation with relevant government authorities to address sector-specific challenges and advance common interests.

The Council provides a strategic platform for member companies to exchange knowledge, develop policy recommendations, and improve the ease of doing business within the sector. Wooden merchant ships continue to serve as a vital commercial artery connecting Dubai with small and medium ports across regional waters, the Indian subcontinent, and East Africa, facilitating foreign trade that exceeded AED 5 billion via commercial wooden ships in 2020.

Beyond its commercial importance, the wooden ships sector represents a significant component of Dubai's maritime heritage and tourism landscape. The Council focuses on enhancing Dubai's position as a global maritime trade hub while supporting the growth of the national wooden shipbuilding industry and fostering increased Emiratisation within the sector.

Mission & Mandate

The Dubai Council for Wooden Ships is committed to advancing the wooden ships sector's contribution to Dubai's economic growth and maritime trade leadership. The Council serves as a bridge between the private sector and government entities to create an enabling environment for sector development.

• Enhance Dubai's position as a centre for global maritime trade through strategic development of the wooden ships sector

• Support and facilitate the expansion of foreign trade volumes served by wooden merchant vessels

• Raise the efficiency and quality of services related to the maritime shipping sector

• Strengthen commercial relations with stakeholders from both public and private sectors domestically and internationally

• Support the national industry of wooden shipbuilding and preserve traditional maritime craftsmanship

• Increase the percentage of Emiratisation within the wooden ships sector and develop local talent

• Provide a collaborative platform for knowledge sharing, policy advocacy, and addressing sector-specific challenges affecting markets in Asia, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent