10 Years of Connecting the Middle East's Mega Projects

Harald Nijhof

Chief Executive Officer Aqaba Container Terminal

Graduated nautical college in 1993, to start a sea-going career as mariner with Nedlloyd. Transferred to shore-based organization of P&O Nedlloyd in London (1998).

Regional Head of Operations for South Asia/Middle East/Africa based in Mumbai (2004).

Joined Maersk Line in India with P&O Nedlloyd take-over in 2005. Several operational management roles followed; Marine Director Global Operations Center (London), Head of Africa Operations (Cape Town), and Line Representative 2M (London). In this last position he built up the 2M Operations Committee jointly with MSC at the commencement of 2M in 2014 being the ultimate responsible for Maersk Line’s operational decisions in the 2M network comprising 220+ vessels.

Harald joined APM Terminals in 2020 as Head of Operations Execution in The Hague and subsequently took up the role of CEO of Aqaba Container Terminal in July 2023. He is also on the board of Aqaba Logistics Village (ALV).

Harald has lived and worked abroad for most of his 30- year career having worked in the UK, India, Spain, Singapore, Denmark, South Africa, and Jordan.


2026 Event Agenda Sessions

Geopolitics in Motion: Security Risks and Contingency Planning

From Red Sea attacks and Iran-Israel tensions to piracy and sanctions, geopolitical instability is forcing operators to reroute vessels, rewrite contracts, and rethink risk. This session dives into the operational impact of today’s hot spots, exploring force majeure, contingency planning, and real-world strategies to keep project cargo moving when trade lanes are no longer predictable.

Wednesday 04 February 11:30 - 12:15 Main Stage

Add to calendar 02/04/2026 11:30 02/04/2026 12:15 Geopolitics in Motion: Security Risks and Contingency Planning

From Red Sea attacks and Iran-Israel tensions to piracy and sanctions, geopolitical instability is forcing operators to reroute vessels, rewrite contracts, and rethink risk. This session dives into the operational impact of today’s hot spots, exploring force majeure, contingency planning, and real-world strategies to keep project cargo moving when trade lanes are no longer predictable.

Main Stage Asia/Dubai