UAE DP World Port Deal is a Non-Issue

There seems to be some anger that a Company based in the United Arab Ererates will be Operating some Ports in the US. This is a perfect example of how people today go running off their mouth without knowing any facts about a situation.

For starters, lets take a look at the management of this Corporation:

Management Team

Mohammed Sharaf Chief Executive Officer - Arab/Muslim

Mr. Sharaf has more than 18 years of expertise in the transport and logistics industry. He has worked in the company since 1992, holding such diverse roles as Assistant Customer Service Manager, Commercial Director, Deputy Managing Director, and Managing Director before being named CEO in 2005.

Edward H. Bilkey Chief Operating Officer (retiring) - American

Ted has over thirty years of diverse experience in the transportation industry. He has served as the President of Norton Lilly & Co., a premier shipping agency in the United States. Mr. Bilkey was instrumental in the development of China Ocean Shipping Company’s services to the United States after the opening of China in the 1980s. He also served as Vice President of Maher Terminals in the Port of New York, one of the major US Terminal Operators.

Anil Wats Chief Operating Officer - ??

Anil Wats is the Managing Director, Asia and Australia for DP World. He has 26 years of experience in the international Shipping and Logistics industry. After graduating with a degree in Business Management, Mr. Wats started his career with Sea Land Service, Inc. and over a period of 21years achieved the position of VP and CEO responsible for the group activities covering the Middle East and Subcontinent. Prior to this position, Mr. Wats served as the VP-General Manager for the Mediterranean region.

Following the acquisition of Sealand by Maersk, Mr. Wats was CEO for the A.P. Moller group activities for Indonesia which included Maersk Sealand, various logistics companies and other business entities. He was also on the Board of Directors for Thailand, Taiwan and Asia Logistics in addition to being an active member on various global committees based at the Maersk headquarters in Copenhagen. He joined DP World in December 2003 responsible for business development in Asia and the Middle East and as Global Commercial Director at DP World, Dubai.

George DaltonGeneral Counsel - American

George Dalton is General Counsel for DP World. Mr. Dalton has over 25 years of legal experience with an extensive background in corporate, financing and international transactions. At DP World he manages and oversees all legal matters. Mr. Dalton joined CSX World Terminals in 1999 as Vice President and General Counsel. Previously, he was with Sea-Land beginning in 1995 as counsel to the North America Terminal Operating Group and the Americas Division which covered activities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining Sea-Land, he was a partner in the New York City maritime firm of Kirlin, Campbell & Keating until 1987 when he became a founding partner of Maddy, Dalton & Lion which focused on international transactions and corporate matters. Mr. Dalton has a juris doctorate from Fordham University School of Law in New York and is a graduate of Fordham University. He is a member of several legal associations.

Joost Kruijning Senior Vice President Operations - Netherlands

While attending the Maritime Institute in his hometown of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Mr Kruijning started his shipping career in 1988 by joining the Sea-Land Service Inc. Operations Department at their Rotterdam Container facility. During his 13-year tenure with Sea-Land Service Inc., he was closely involved with the development and start-up operations of the Sea-Land Delta Terminal Project, the first semi-automated container terminal in the Ports Industry. This was followed by assignments in Russia as Port Manager - St.Petersburg and the Sultanate of Oman as Terminal Operations Manager - Salalah Port Services Inc., before joining Dubai Ports International in 2001 as Senior Manager – International Port Operations.

Matt LeechHead of Business Development - American

Matthew Leech is Head of Business Development, for DP World. Mr. Leech has over 14 years of experience in the finance and container transportation industries. At DP World, he is responsible for global new business development activities. Prior to acquisition of CSX World Terminals by DP World, Mr. Leech served in a similar role as Vice President, Operations and Development, where he has led many of CSXWT’s key expansion initiatives including the acquisition of terminal facilities in Korea, China and Venezuela in addition to managing terminals in Australia, Germany, Venezuela and Russia. Mr. Leech also held the position of Director, Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Development, where he was responsible for leading the global strategic planning and infrastructure development activities, and the position of Director, Project Analysis for CSX World Terminals. Mr. Leech joined Sea-Land Service in 1995 and held various geographic positions in the Strategic Planning group focusing on network planning, alliance management and business analysis. Prior to joining Sea-Land, he held progressive positions in the commercial real estate group of a large financial institution based in Washington, DC. Mr. Leech received a BA in economics from Georgetown University and an MBA with a finance focus from the University of Maryland.

Michael Moore Senior Vice President Commercial - American

Michael brings with him over 20 years of expertise in the transportation industry, having started as a management trainee in the trucking industry in the US and then moving to Sea-Land Service, Inc. in 1984. His broad background experience in container shipping spans terminal operations, sales, logistics, pricing and trade management. In 1999 he joined Maersk, where he served as the Vice President of Global Sales in Europe for 6 years

Vijay SharmaChief Financial Officer - Indian

Mr. Sharma joined the DP World team in early 2005 as Director Finance. A banker by background, Vijay has had a wide range of experience in all aspects of wholesale Banking - Corporate Banking, International Finance and Investment Banking in both developed and developing markets. Beginning his career with Grindlays bank in India, his twenty three years as a banker has seen him live and work in India, Africa and more recently with the ANZ Investment Bank in London as Director, Global Corporate Finance covering the Middle East and South Asia.

Yuvraj NarayanSenior Vice President,Corporate Strategy - ?

Mr Yuvraj Narayan, Senior Vice President , Corporate Strategy, DP World, is a qualified Chartered Accountant with more than 13 years experience in International Corporate and Project Finance with the ANZ Group between 1984 to1997. He was the Head of Corporate and Project Finance for South Asia before moving as Chief Financial Officer of Salalah Port Services Co. SAOG. This Company was the Concessionaire for the Management and Operation of the new Container Terminal in the Port of Salalah.

Tell me how this management team team represents a threat? All of these people are professionals with years/decades of experience. This management team looks very similar to what you would find in most any International Corporation based in the US. This is probably even more American than many.

One reason for this is that This company took over American CSX World Terminals a couple of years back. CSX was an offshoot of SEA-LAND, which was the American Company that gave birth to Containerization. Another reason is that most Arab Countries import trained people to run their countries at most every level. This can sometimes create odd partners, especially in the case of workers from India. You see, they don't like the Indians, but tolerate them. There are many Indians in the Middle East. (Unfortunately, this permits young Muslims to go off and study the koran / head off on jihad, and also creates high unemployment because they are not qualified for any but the most basic jobs, so even their own won't hire them.)

The UAE has another, pressing problem. They are running out of oil and they know it. So they are busy trying to replace the oil revenue that they will lose with business revenue. One way is by setting up free-trade zones, and working to turn their country into a trans-shipment point for the Middle East just like Singapore is for asia.

Ports are operated at a local level. To think that some person from the UAE will now have free access to US ports is idiotic. For starters, they first would need to get a visa to even enter the country. Even if they did get in, would you think a longshoreman is going to do something against the US just because someone claiming to be their boss tells them? They are more likely to get the sh*t kicked out of them. (Longshoremen are not port employees of the operating companies, but are provided by unions that really control the ports. That is where their loyalty lies.)

Are their threats in the UAE, sure, but this is not one of them.

Further explanation:

Is it this weeks "Miers Moment" or is it just a "Mindless Kerfuffle" - Varifrank

A real port threat:

Try this Port threat on for Size

See Also:
DP World

Update 22 Feb 06:

California Conservative reverses it's initial opinion and now supports this deal

Port Security: We Weren’t Wrong To Question, But We’re Satisfied By The Answers - CC

Follow-up Port Hysteria Posts: (Update 9 March 06)

NJ Senator Lautenberg - "Dubai Hysteria" Victim - 8 March 06
UAE DP World Port Deal - Endorsed by Israeli Shipping Line - 3 March 06
Congressional Action:UAE DP World Port Deal - "Dubai Hysteria" - 2 March 06
Try this Port threat on for Size - 20 February 06
UAE DP World Port Deal is a Non-Issue - 19 February 06