Ocean Network Express (ONE) is setting up shop in Dubai as it looks to accelerate its presence in the rapidly developing markets of the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and East Africa.
The world’s sixth-largest liner company said the new office will serve as its West Asia Regional Headquarters (RHQ).
It will serve as ONE’s central hub encompassing key functions such as commercial activities, customer service and digitalisation.
It will also house a team dedicated to developing regional trade partnerships and exploring new business opportunities within the region.
Industry veteran Sundeep Sibal has been appointed as the regional director of the new office effective from 1 April 2024.
He joined ONE as head of transpacific and transatlantic trades in 2018 but was previously responsible for Mitsui OSK Line’s regional businesses in the Middle East, Indian subcontinent and South East Asia.
“The Middle East, Indian subcontinent and East Africa regions have become increasingly key growth markets for ONE, for both our inter-regional and deep-sea network customers,” ONE chief executive Jeremy Nixon said.
“It is therefore appropriate that ONE now moves the oversight of this region from Singapore to Dubai, by setting up a new RHQ office closer to these key markets.”
Nixon described Sibal as a “key member” of ONE’s senior management team since the inception of the company and said that he has an “intricate knowledge of West Asia”.
Sibal said ONE was expecting the deployment of several new services, including the West India North America service and an expanded Intra Asia loop network.
In January, ONE launched a new Indian Ocean Mediterranean service, connecting India, Pakistan and the Middle East with the Mediterranean region.
India is looking to establish itself as a competitor to China on infrastructure and technology in the region, according to UK publication The Economist.
It has been playing an increasingly important role in world trade, with an export volume of about $453bn with an annual growth rate of 15% in 2022, according to the World Trade Organisation.
Last month, fellow Singapore-based container line SeaLead said it was looking to take advantage of growing trade ties between India and the Middle East with the introduction of a new liner service.
The seven-year-old company teamed up with Blue Water Line for the weekly Gulf India Express service, which will initially deploy two ships, one from each company.
