2027 Event Agenda

The Middle East project pipeline is shaped by shifting investment priorities, government policy, financing conditions, procurement strategies and the readiness of supporting infrastructure. These factors will determine which projects advance and when they begin to generate demand for the project cargo supply chain.

A senior industry strategist will open the programme with an analysis of the forces influencing project activity across the region. The presentation will assess where momentum is building, what could slow execution and the implications for cargo owners, EPCs and delivery partners in 2027.

Cargo owners and EPCs explain how they select specialist logistics partners once project requirements are set. What evidence shows technical fit, planning, safety, communication and control of commercial risk? What should performance look like after award?

The Gulf continues to attract major investment across energy, infrastructure and industrial development, but the scale of ambition brings equally significant execution challenges. Financing, project readiness, procurement strategy and supply-chain capability will all influence which megaprojects progress and at what pace.

This session will examine where investment is translating into major project activity, the factors shaping execution, and what this means for cargo owners, EPCs and the project logistics supply chain.

Rail, port and cross-border corridor projects could reshape how oversized cargo moves through the Gulf, Red Sea and Iraq–Türkiye routes. Their practical value will be determined by operating limits, border processes and the final connection to project sites.

Rather than focusing on planned connectivity, this session will test what each corridor can handle now and what is still missing. How should project teams verify route capability, identify weak links and decide when a new corridor is genuinely ready for complex cargo?

Early-career practitioners join project owners, EPCs and operations leaders to discuss how people enter the field, learn and take responsibility. Which skills matter across planning, port and site work?

A route or service can become unworkable after equipment has been ordered and delivery dates agreed. At that point, the challenge is not simply finding another path, but understanding the consequences for handling, permits, cost and the construction sequence.

Drawing on Middle East delivery cases, this session will examine how teams redesign a movement under pressure. What information is needed to compare alternatives, who should make the decision and how can project schedules absorb change without creating further problems at site?

Many decisions that determine logistics feasibility are made before a carrier or forwarder is appointed. Equipment dimensions, package splits, manufacturing origin, gateway selection and transport mode can all be shaped during engineering and procurement, with lasting consequences for cost and schedule.

This session will examine when logistics expertise should enter the project lifecycle and where it can add the greatest value. How can closer coordination between engineering, procurement and logistics teams prevent avoidable constraints later in delivery?

Bring your toughest challenge.

Every project cargo move comes with its own challenges. Ahead of Breakbulk Middle East, attendees are invited to submit the real-world problems they are facing, from heavy-lift and route constraints to port access, marine risk, vessel availability and schedule pressure. In this interactive session, experienced industry practitioners will tackle selected challenges, ask the questions that matter, challenge assumptions and explore possible solutions from different perspectives, as well as taking live questions from the audience.

NextWave Education Day brings together students and industry professionals for a full day of engaging content, networking and exhibition access. The programme introduces students to career opportunities across the breakbulk, project cargo and maritime industries, while connecting the next generation of talent with industry professionals and potential employers.

Includes career journeys panels, practical career advice, interactive problem-solving sessions, a guided exhibition floor tour and lunch provided.

Future cargo demand will be shaped less by total announced investment than by the type, scale and timing of equipment required for each project. Energy, utilities, industry, transport and digital infrastructure will not produce the same cargo profile or follow the same procurement cycle.

This session will map the sectors most likely to generate significant movements towards 2030. Panellists will examine where demand is deepening, which project milestones provide the clearest signals and how the mix of cargo could change across the region.

The 72-Hour Decision: A business-critical shipment is already in transit. The delivery date is fixed, a replacement is not readily available, and the decision on how to get it there sits with you.

In this interactive scenario, shippers work in small, cross-industry groups to navigate a fast-moving logistics situation. Led by a Scenario Director, each table responds to three escalating developments, weighing cost, schedule, supply security and wider business risk before committing to a course of action and discovering its consequences.

There is no single right answer. The value lies in comparing judgement with peers: hearing why one table holds, another reroutes, and another accepts a different level of risk to protect its business outcome.

The Global Shipper Decision Room combines practical problem-solving with structured networking, giving shippers a direct way to meet, exchange approaches and learn how peers manage similar pressures in their own businesses.

One critical shipment. Three escalating disruptions. What would you do?

Luke King speaks with a senior project owner, EPC or logistics leader about decisions behind project delivery in the Middle East. The guest draws on first-hand experience to discuss coordination, delivery under pressure and lessons for future work, with time for audience questions.

Local-content policies are changing how projects source equipment, qualify suppliers and structure procurement across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman. While the direction is shared, each market has its own requirements, industrial capabilities and implications for delivery.

This session will compare how owners and EPCs are responding across the three countries. How are local-content requirements influencing supplier selection, package design, manufacturing lead times and transport planning, and where does imported equipment remain necessary?

Gulf-based investors, developers and contractors are increasingly involved in African projects, connecting regional procurement centres with some of the world’s most demanding delivery environments. Success depends on the requirements of each project and country rather than a single approach across the continent.

Built around one confirmed project, this session will follow equipment through sourcing, customs, inland transport and final handover. Which decisions, interfaces and local constraints shaped delivery, and what can other project teams learn from the experience?

Cargo owners and EPCs examine charter-party terms, cargo cover, liability and claims procedures for complex shipments. What should be agreed before a move, and documented if cargo condition or responsibility is disputed? Keep legal interpretation separate from underwriting.

Project execution depends on more than the total number of vessels, cranes or heavy transport units in the market. Suitability, positioning, mobilisation time and competition between projects determine whether the required capacity is available when and where it is needed.

This session will match forthcoming Middle East requirements against the specialist assets expected to serve them. Owners, EPCs and operators will discuss lead times, technical fit and regional deployment, identifying the combinations of cargo and timing most likely to create pressure.

Project owners, EPCs, logistics providers and a cybersecurity specialist discuss protecting planning, cargo, port and site information across companies. Who owns access, vendor assurance and incident response? How can teams test readiness and business continuity?

More status updates do not necessarily give a project team greater control. Useful visibility depends on agreed milestones, consistent information and a clear link between an exception and the person responsible for resolving it.

This session will examine how Middle East projects are managing cargo information between port, customs, inland transport and site. Customer-led examples will show which data improves decisions, where handovers still break down and when direct operational coordination remains more valuable than another platform.