The second Maritime Standard Ship Finance and Trade Conference took place at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort, on November 14th 2016. Like the first Conference, also held in Abu Dhabi, it was hugely successful, bringing together experts from the fields of shipping, ports, banking, finance, trade and maritime law, among others, to discuss and debate the key issues and trends facing the shipping business, and trade, in the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. They willingly shared their insights and knowledge through a series of presentations and panel discussions, signposting the way forward, and identifying the key challenges ahead, as well as the significant opportunities that exist. A high level panel of speakers dealt with a number of themes including regional trade patterns, ship finance and ports and shipping. Speakers and attendees alike praised the content of the conference and the networking opportunities presented. There was appreciation of the fact that leading executives shared their industry knowledge and pointed the way to opportunities to adapt to evolving market situations in line with their forecasts.