Malta – the leading Global Maritime Centre. An island at the crossroads of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Malta – strategically located at the centre of the Mediterranean Sea just six nautical miles off the vital Gibraltar and Suez Canal routes.
Throughout its chequered history dating back millennia, Malta has always been an important hub for both merchant as well as naval shipping.
Its natural harbours were a safe and very sought-after haven, often eyed by military and merchant superpowers as they sought the Mediterranean as a base for their far-reaching influences.
Today, Malta is still honouring its vocation as a maritime hub, providing a wide variety of services, logistics and facilities to the maritime industry and beyond.
Homeport ‘Valletta’ ; The largest in Europe and the sixth largest in the world in terms of tonnage, the Malta flag has developed a solid reputation boasting a very strong legal and regulatory platform.
Malta is also a hub for yacht registration under the Maltese flag. This registration is open to Maltese, as well as EU and non-EU nationals. Yachts and super yachts can avail themselves of a range of services including eight yacht marinas, support services, berthing facilities as well as a superyacht repair facility.
Malta is also renowned for its ship repair industry that currently serves two hundred commercial vessels per year. The facilities, can accommodate ships up to VLCC size and offer a full range of services, including maintenance, damage repairs and conversion work.
Through the Malta Freeport Terminals, Malta also offers state of the art transhipment facilities fully geared to handle two 18,000 TEU vessels simultaneously. One of the major advantages of the Malta Freeport Terminals is the global links by regular liner services with 130 ports worldwide, 62 of which are in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Malta’s Grand Harbour is one of the most scenic in the world, and is the home of a vibrant cruise liner industry. Valletta Cruise Port currently handles over 300 cruise liners and registers 600,000 passengers each year. The Cruise Port is well adapted both for homeport as well as turnaround services with fast and efficient airport to seaport transfers. Valletta Cruise Port was named Best Terminal Operator 2015 by Cruise Insight.
Malta has established itself through its shortsea initiatives, through the Malta Shortsea Promotion Centre. This Centre promotes shortsea shipping initiatives in Malta through roro services and feedering networks, essential to the Maltese economy.
Malta also serves as a hub for the Oil and Gas industry through equipment, materials, private quay facilities and terminals, storage facilities as well as personnel logistic facilities. Malta is also an active offshore hub, servicing the needs of operators requiring the maintenance and upgrading of oil rigs.
Malta’s bunkering facilities, turning over 1.5 million tons of bunker oils per year, offer both onshore storage as well as blending facilities.
Malta has what it takes to be a premium hub for maritime activities. Through its extensive network of support services, clients can rest assured of the best during their port stay in Malta. Ship chandlery, Customs electronic systems, outside harbour related services as well as efficient crew changes make Malta such an attractive proposition.
Moreover, the industry is supported by reputable shipping services with regards to legal, insurance, as well as back office services.
Malta has an efficient Maritime jurisdiction as well as Maritime Arbitration services.
As a maritime hub of activity, Malta is also looking to the Blue economy. The island is attracting investment in blue energy, aqua culture, tourism, blue bio-technology as well as underwater archeology.
The Malta Maritime Forum brings together all the stakeholders in the Maltese Maritime Industry. Its objective is to create the necessary synergies and expand Malta’s network as an important international maritime hub.
Malta’s maritime roots are the foundation of its success today. Through the Malta Maritime Forum the industry is striving to set higher standards as well as create further opportunities through maintaining and developing local and international networks. Welcome to Maritime Malta!
