Maqta Gateway becomes the first Abu Dhabi entity to implement a blockchain pilot project globally
Maqta Gateway, an Abu Dhabi Ports subsidiary, has begun implementing the first international blockchain pilot testing project in partnership with the Port of Antwerp, Belgium.
This marks the latest milestone for the ‘Silsal’ project, considered to be the first blockchain-based solution to be developed locally by an Abu Dhabi local entity.
As part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Maqta Gateway and the Port of Antwerp to exchange experiences and promote collaborative innovation, the two parties will test this advanced project.
The latest test of the Silsal project will play a vital role in supporting companies conducting trade transactions between the UAE and Belgium, providing full cargo visibility and streamlining trade flows and supply chains. The pilot project will test the capabilities of the technology to exchange, identify and acknowledge cargo documents and certificates between Abu Dhabi Ports and the Port of Antwerp.
“Our technology experts at Maqta Gateway are working with world-class international partners, such as the Port of Antwerp, to deliver fast, reliable, and secure trade transactions through rigorous development and testing programmes,” commented Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Ports.
“Silsal’s first international step today, working with the Port of Antwerp, is a manifestation of Abu Dhabi Ports’ commitment to secure Abu Dhabi’s global standing as a premier logistics, transport and trade hub, and support the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030,” explained Dr Noura Al Dhaheri, CEO, Maqta Gateway.
First unveiled in June 2018, the Silsal project has been rolled out in several operational phases and will be offered first to freight forwarders and their customers, and subsequently offered to the rest of the trade community as a complementary tool to Maqta Port Community System.
“We are an open innovation hub that introduces new technologies, as we continue to believe that innovation and digitization are crucial for the success of trade in the long term, and therefore one of our core priorities,” noted Erwin Verstraelen, Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO), Port of Antwerp.
