Both Middle East and Africa have benefited from robust economic performance of other emerging markets such as China, India, Turkey and South America, they added.
According to organisers of TOC Container Supply Chain Middle East conference that will take place in Dubai on October 1-3, this implies significant shift in the direction and nature of trade with the rest of the world, as business with OECD countries is rapidly supplanted by emerging markets.
"India and China in particular are presenting the GCC with substantial opportunities, driving the region's ports to expand capacity both for their own trade needs and also to develop as regional supply chain hubs," Neil Madden, Conference Editor for TOC Worldwide, has said.
Within the GCC countries, massive investments are being undertaken across all sectors from telecom to healthcare as member nations are diversifying their oil-dependent economies.
Oil itself, of course, still plays a hugely important role except today the focus is on multi-billion dollar petro-chemical refining projects as sophisticated process industries migrate from their previous hubs in Western Europe.
Burgeoning exports from GCC countries have been underpinned by the increased containerisation of petrochemical cargo, a statement released by organisers said.
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A suggested 50 per cent rise in exports by 2015 could mean an additional 2 million TEU volume growth.
Besides petrochemicals, new forms of aluminium products are also playing their part to drive container exports, it added.
The conference will include 2-day container supply chain conference, free-to-attend port operations and technology seminars, exhibition of port and terminal services, equipment and technology, and industry networking receptions.