Geneva Dry Dialogues: Bahri Dry Bulk

In the 2020s to date, the dry bulk fleet at Bahri, the national shipping company of Saudi Arabia, has more than doubled in size, and plans are afoot to significantly scale up the fleet further.

In an exclusive interview ahead of the company’s participation at Geneva Dry in 45 days’ time, Mohammed Bin Battal, president of Bahri Dry Bulk, discusses the future of the dry bulk market worldwide and at home, while outlining his company’s own expansion plans.

“The dry bulk market serves as a barometer that reflects the health of the global economy in accordance with the overarching macroeconomic drivers,” Bin Battal says.

In this context, Bahri Dry Bulk is anticipating a surge in emerging trends that will drive the demand for near-shoring and on-shoring activities.

“The anticipated disruptions in the supply chain are expected to prompt significant shifts in commodity movement,” Bin Battal predicts.

Simultaneously, he says evolving environmental regulations will foster the adoption of sustainable practices, particularly within the trade of certain dry bulk commodities.

Bahri Dry Bulk started out this decade with five ships, a figure that now stands at 11.

“We aim to multiply our fleet,” the Bahri executive reveals, saying he wants to give his company a greater global reach and to make Bahri Dry Bulk an “influential player”.

Sarah Al Qahtani, the company’s chartering manager, will be speaking at Geneva Dry’s final digital session on Day One, the Future of Fixing session, an hour looking at how the role of brokers will evolve, and what owners and charterers will seek out of their broking houses in the years ahead. Moderated by Mandarin Shipping’s Tim Huxley, panellists also include Christoffer Svard, the CCO of fixture platform Sea, Jeremy Palin, CEO of broker Arrow, Niels Josefsen, CEO of Lauritzen Bulkers and Willem Vermaat, the shipping director at Heidelberg Materials Trading.

“What distinguishes Geneva Dry from other conventions is its exclusive focus on multiple facets of the dry bulk industry,” Bin Battal says. “We eagerly anticipate leveraging this gathering to gain profound insights and foster strategic relationships with some of the leading industry experts who shape our dynamic field.”

Geneva Dry will kick off on May 2 with an hour on digital efficiency drivers with top names from Oldendorff Carriers and Cetus Maritime among the speakers followed by a workshop on making data actionable.

Designed to be the annual global summit for the dry bulk shipping community, the event now boasts an extraordinary mix of shipowners, trading companies, miners and tech providers, with more than 170 companies due to convene at the Hotel President Wilson on the shores of Lake Geneva.

The high-level two-day summit is split into relevant sectors to make delegates’ time more targeted and rewarding. Sessions also include minor bulks; agri-commodities; coal; iron ore; and decarbonisation.

The full Geneva Dry agenda can be accessed here.
Geneva Dry registration, at just $650, can be accessed here.
Special Geneva Dry rates at the President Wilson Hotel can be found here.