KARACHI: The four-day Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference 2025 (PIMEC-25) successfully concluded at the Karachi Expo Centre on Thursday.

The last day of the event was opened to the general public after 12pm and there was a sudden change of scene and pace at PIMEC-25.

People turned out at the Expo Centre in huge numbers. The youth were eager to see the stall displays which they had been reading about and watching on the various news channels and social media.

The biggest drawers of crowds were the Juggernaut multi-rotor munition drone and the long-range kamikaze (loitering munition) drone Sarfarosh, two big heroes of the recent Pakistan-India conflict.

The Sindh and Balochistan pavilions were also appreciated by the visitors.

Maritime affairs minister announced establishment of Green Ship Repair and Recycling Yard at Port Qasim

Some of the stalls which had held back selling their display items for the previous three days, finally let people buy them. One of these was the organic olive oil and honey being sold at a stall in the Balochistan pavilion.

The people also enjoyed taking turns inside the various armoured vehicles on display at the exhibition.

Earlier, the closing ceremony of PIMEC was attended by Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry.

As the chief guest, he announced the establishment of Pakistan’s first Green Ship Repair and Recycling Yard at Port Qasim.

The minister highlighted that, looking ahead to Pakistan’s “Maritime Century (2047-2147)”, the five pillars include developing three new deep-sea ports, expanding the national shipping fleet, building artificial intelligence-enabled maritime industrial complexes, achieving 100 per cent green digital ports, and leading regional maritime cooperation.

‘Ideal platform for maritime collaboration’

Earlier, Commander Karachi (Comkar) Vice Admiral Muhammad Faisal Abbasi extended his sincere appreciation to the visiting delegates, scholars, maritime experts and exhibitors for their dynamic participation throughout the event.

He emphasised that PIMEC provides an ideal platform for Pakistan’s maritime industry to exchange ideas and create new avenues for a prosperous maritime future.

The Comkar also appreciated the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (Nima) for successfully organising the international maritime conference on the theme of “Harnessing Blue Economy Potential for Sustainable Development” during the event.

Rs76bn MoUs signed to boost blue economy

The second edition of PIMEC-25 marked a major milestone in advancing Pakistan’s maritime and blue economy agenda, with the signing of 83 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs76 billion between national and international exhibitors across multiple maritime sectors.

The MoU signings at PIMEC-25 serve as a concrete signal from Pakistan to international investors, emphasising its commitment to fostering strategic partnerships, promoting technology transfer, enhancing capacity building, and unlocking large-scale opportunities in the maritime sector.

PIMEC-25 received an overwhelming international response, featuring participation from 178 exhibitors, including 28 international firms and 150 local organisations showcasing a wide range of maritime innovations, technologies and services.

The event was also attended by 133 international delegations representing 44 countries across Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East, underscoring PIMEC’s growing stature as a premier maritime event in the region.

The successful conclusion of PIMEC-25 not only highlights Pakistan’s potential as a maritime hub but also reflects the nation’s growing role in shaping the regional blue economy landscape.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2025