Seatrade Maritime: Port of Hamburg opens Dubai office

Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM) has added to its network the new Hamburg Representative Office UAE and Gulf Region with the support of multiple Hamburg institutions.

HHM said the Gulf region is a central hub between Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as of strategic importance in future energy sources and supply chains.

Economic momentum in the Gulf is reflected in the Port of Hamburg’s recent results, said HHM. Box traffic between Hamburg and the UAE/Red Sea/Gulf in the first nine months of 2025 increased by 28.8% to around 130,000 teu compared to the same period a year prior. “With the United Arab Emirates alone — the region’s strongest partner country in direct container traffic — the Port of Hamburg recorded a market share of almost 80% among German seaports in the 2024 calendar year,” said HHM.

New and expanding liner services suggest growth will continue, it added.

Partners for the new office include the Senate Chancellery of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Innovation, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Hamburg Tourism, Hamburg Messe und Congress, and Port of Hamburg Marketing.

Kirsten Staab, head of the Hamburg Representative Office in Dubai, said: “It can be assumed that blue and green hydrogen, as well as their derivatives from the Gulf region, will play an increasingly important role in Germany’s supply of alternative energy sources in the future. This makes it all the more important for the Port of Hamburg to maintain a presence in the region as a hydrogen import hub and to be perceived as a strong partner.” 

Hendrik Meyn, CEO of HHM, said: “We are pleased to have Kirsten Staab as an experienced point of contact with extensive regional expertise and a broad network, supporting our members in entering the markets of the UAE and the Gulf region.”