Mohammad Jaber left a career at the world’s biggest logistics firm to push himself into uncharted territory as CEO of Combi Lift Projects in the Middle East. In this episode of Voices of Breakbulk Middle East, host Luke King sits down with Mohammad to explore how project logistics in the region is evolving — and why the old “do everything yourself” model no longer works.

Mohammad reflects on his journey from commodities and container logistics into complex project cargo, his move from global forwarding giants to a more agile project-focused business, and why collaboration — not dominance — will define the next phase of the industry.

We discuss:

1. Why Combi Lift positions itself as collaborative, not controlling, in a fragmented project cargo market
2. How Saudi Arabia, the UAE and wider Middle East are driving the next wave of heavy-lift and infrastructure demand
3. The role of engineering creativity in keeping projects profitable as costs rise
4. Where technology, AI and data will genuinely move the needle — and where hype still exceeds reality
5. Why peace, stability and long-term thinking matter more than any single megaproject

From nuclear power and energy transition projects to future-ready logistics talent, this is a wide-ranging, thoughtful conversation with one of the region’s most experienced project logistics leaders — and a reminder that the strongest operators aren’t those who try to do everything, but those who know exactly where they add value.

🎥 Recorded in Dubai, UAE

For all business enquires relating to the podcast, email Luke@prospectcomms.co.uk and visit https://www.projectcargopros.com/

About Voices of Breakbulk Middle East

This episode is part of our special Voices of Breakbulk Middle East series, celebrating a decade of the region’s leading event for project cargo. Register now for the 10th anniversary of Breakbulk Middle East, taking place Feb 4-5 in Dubai: https://middleeast.breakbulk.com/page...

About Our Sponsor: Hareket is a leading provider of engineered heavy lifting, project transport, and crane solutions, serving customers across Eurasia, the Middle East, and Africa. With over 15 offices worldwide and nearly seven decades of experience, Hareket supports sectors including energy, petrochemicals, oil and gas, nuclear, renewable energy, and civil infrastructure. Listed on the Turkish Stock Exchange in 2024, the company ranks first in Turkey and among the top heavy-lift and crane providers globally. Hareket is recognised for its technical expertise, operational reliability and ability to deliver tailored solutions for large-scale, complex projects.

👉 Visit

Mustafa Şener, executive board member at Hareket, joins Project Cargo Professionals for a wide-ranging conversation recorded in Dubai as part of our Voices of Breakbulk Middle East series.

With more than two decades in global project logistics and heavy engineering, Mustafa offers a grounded, strategic view on where the sector is heading — from Türkiye’s evolving role as a manufacturing and engineering hub, to the rapid rise of the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia as the next major growth corridors for complex projects.

Drawing on his experience across Europe, North America and the Middle East, Mustafa explains how asset-based specialists like Hareket are positioning themselves for a new generation of mega-projects, why engineering depth and execution discipline matter more than ever, and how the launch of HPL One reflects a broader shift in how project logistics services are structured and delivered.

But beyond cranes, corridors and capacity, Mustafa also shares a more personal perspective — one shaped by his long-standing commitment to health, performance and longevity. As an active figure within the HYROX global fitness movement, he speaks candidly about the physical and mental demands of leadership, the realities of life in high-pressure corporate environments, and why personal resilience and team wellbeing are becoming strategic advantages in project logistics.

We explore:

1. Why Türkiye’s rising costs may actually signal strength, not weakness
2. How the Middle East is evolving into a self-sustaining project powerhouse
3. What differentiates asset-based engineering specialists in today’s market
4. The logic behind separating heavy engineering from global forwarding operations
5. Why leadership, energy and physical health are inseparable in high-performance teams

A thoughtful conversation that connects heavy projects with human performance, and a reminder that long-term success in this industry is built as much on people and discipline as it is on cargo and capacity.

🎥 Recorded in Dubai, UAE

👉 Connect with Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfsener/

For all business enquires relating to the podcast, email Luke@prospectcomms.co.uk and visit https://www.projectcargopros.com/

About Voices of Breakbulk Middle East

This episode is part of our special Voices of Breakbulk Middle East series, celebrating a decade of the region’s leading event for project cargo. Register now for the 10th anniversary of Breakbulk Middle East, taking place Feb 4-5 in Dubai: https://middleeast.breakbulk.com/page/visitor-registration

About Our Sponsor: SAL

SAL is one of the world’s leading heavy-lift and project cargo carriers, operating a modern fleet of specialised vessels with service speeds up to 20 knots, dynamic positioning systems, Fly-Jib capability and combined crane capacities of up to 2,000 tonnes. Together with SAL Intermarine, the company runs a global fleet supporting more than 1,200 employees across 27 offices worldwide. A member of the Harren Group, SAL is recognised for its high technical standards, safety and environmental performance, including its new Orca Class vessels. Alongside Jumbo Shipping, SAL also co-operates the JSI Alliance, providing comprehensive multipurpose, heavy-lift and offshore transport solutions.

👉 Visit https://sal.global

About Hareket:

Hareket is a leading provider of engineered heavy lifting, project transport, and crane solutions, serving customers across Eurasia, the Middle East, and Africa. With over 15...

In this episode, Project Cargo Professionals meets Denis Bandura, managing director at BBC Chartering Middle East, one of the longest-serving figures in the organisation, having joined BBC at the turn of the millennium.

From his early seafaring career to more than 25 years with BBC Chartering, Ukrainian-born Denis reflects on what it takes to build longevity in a sector defined by cycles, geopolitics and constant change. Speaking in Dubai for our Voices of Breakbulk Middle East series, he shares a candid view on how the region has evolved from a transshipment hub into a self-sustaining industrial force — particularly across oil & gas, wind and heavy industry.

We explore:

1. Why a shortage of capable heavy-lift tonnage may actually be healthy for the project market
2. How globalization has shifted — and why regions like the Middle East and India are increasingly standing on their own
3. What differentiates BBC Chartering’s fleet and operating model, from LakerMax vessels to ice-class newbuilds
4. Why sustainability, decarbonisation and efficiency are no longer just “big-client” concerns
5. How operators succeed — or fail — in the Middle East’s relationship-driven project cargo market

Denis also lifts the lid on a lighter tradition that’s made him something of a fixture at Breakbulk Middle East: the now-well-known BBC cigar box, opened late into the night as deals, stories and friendships are cemented — a small ritual that perfectly captures the community spirit of the sector.

A thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation with one of the region’s most consistent and respected voices.

🎥 Recorded in Dubai, UAE 👉 Connect with Denis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denis-bandura-762229276/

For all business enquires relating to the podcast, email Luke@prospectcomms.co.uk and visit https://www.projectcargopros.com/

About Voices of Breakbulk Middle East

This episode is part of our special Voices of Breakbulk Middle East series, celebrating a decade of the region’s leading event for project cargo. Register now for the 10th anniversary of Breakbulk Middle East, taking place Feb 4-5 in Dubai: https://middleeast.breakbulk.com/page...

About Our Sponsor: Hareket

Hareket is a leading provider of engineered heavy lifting, project transport, and crane solutions, serving customers across Eurasia, the Middle East, and Africa. With over 15 offices worldwide and nearly seven decades of experience, Hareket supports sectors including energy, petrochemicals, oil and gas, nuclear, renewable energy, and civil infrastructure. Listed on the Turkish Stock Exchange in 2024, the company ranks first in Turkey and among the top heavy-lift and crane providers globally. Hareket is recognised...

In the PCP Christmas Special, a group of senior project cargo professionals sit down with host Luke King to reflect on a turbulent 2025 — and look ahead to what 2026 may bring for the heavy lift and project cargo sector.

Over good food and candid discussion, the group touches on:

1. Market volatility, geopolitics and regulatory pressure
2. Fleet development, capacity and the role of specialist tonnage
3. Tariffs, compliance and rising customer expectations
4. The growing importance of partnerships over price-only decisions
5. Why attracting young talent matters more than ever
6. Why companies should to “open their hearts and minds” to all
7. What the industry should leave behind in 2025 — and what gives cause for optimism next year

It’s thoughtful, honest and occasionally heart-warming — the kind of conversation that usually only happens after the cameras stop rolling.

Featuring:

• Hendrik “Henk” Alma, logistics manager, NEM Energy

• Aditya “Adi” Menon, commercial director, Blue Bell Shipping

• Peter Molloy LLM, FICS, managing director, Sea3R

• John Pittalis, marketing director, AAL Shipping

📍 Recorded in Rotterdam, The Netherlands

👉 Connect with the cast of the PCP Christmas Special on LinkedIn:

Luke King: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-king-5a83477/

Hendrik “Henk” Alma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-alma-51969137/

Aditya “Adi” Menon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditya-menon-5359a2a8/

Peter Molloy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-molloy-llm-fics-6aaa5658/

John Pittalis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yiannis-pittalis-865b775/

For all business enquires relating to the podcast, email Luke@prospectcomms.co.uk and visit https://www.projectcargopros.com/

About Our Sponsor: Blue Bell Shipping

Blue Bell Shipping LLC is a global logistics provider with over 30 years’ experience delivering end-to-end freight solutions worldwide. The company specialises in project cargo, air charters, rig moves, dangerous goods and reefer shipments, supported by a strong international network. With dedicated teams, including oil and gas specialists, Blue Bell Shipping delivers reliable, door-to-door logistics across the Middle East, Central Asia, Australia and beyond.

👉 Visit https://bluebellshipping.com/

Few people in project logistics will have seen — and shaped — as much of the industry as Colin Charnock, Group CEO of Trans Global Projects. In this episode, Colin shares four decades of experience across Abu Dhabi, Houston, Singapore and beyond, and explains how TGP grew from a two-man spin-off to a globally respected medium-sized project forwarder.

From navigating the collapse of his former employer to building a long-standing relationship with McDermott, opening in Malaysia with local legend Ling Ling, delivering a hydrogen project in the Netherlands, transporting materials to Antarctica, and running one of the earliest mega-projects in Kazakhstan — this is a masterclass in project logistics execution and leadership.

In this episode of Project Cargo Professionals:

· Colin’s early career across the Middle East, U.S. and Asia

· How Trans Global Projects was founded in 1988 — and why timing was everything

· Building a culture with “no red tape” and “no internal politics”

· Why TGP is thriving as a mid-sized player in a market of giants

· Why Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, and the U.S. are key growth regions right now

· Hydrogen, power generation, rolling stock and the “next big sectors”

· The Kazakhstan mega-project that changed everything

· The Antarctica jetty project: “the logistical equivalent of a lunar landing”

· Life in Switzerland, beer entrepreneurship, and how not to run a business

· Colin’s nomination for a future PCP guest…

If you work in heavy lift, EPC, project forwarding or energy markets, this is an unmissable conversation with one of the sector’s pioneers.

🎥 Recorded in Rotterdam, The Netherlands

👉 Connect with Colin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-charnock-3485a642/

For all business enquires relating to the podcast, email Luke@prospectcomms.co.uk and visit https://www.projectcargopros.com/

About SAL

SAL is one of the world’s leading heavy-lift and project cargo carriers, operating a modern fleet of specialised vessels with service speeds up to 20 knots, dynamic positioning systems, Fly-Jib capability and combined crane capacities of up to 2,000 tonnes. Together with SAL Intermarine, the company runs a global fleet supporting more than 1,200 employees across 27 offices worldwide. A member of the Harren Group, SAL is recognised for its high technical standards, safety and environmental performance, including its new Orca Class vessels. Alongside Jumbo Shipping, SAL also co-operates the JSI Alliance, providing comprehensive multipurpose, heavy-lift and offshore transport solutions.

👉 Visit https://sal.global

Keywords: project cargo, breakbulk, heavy lift, logistics, EPC logistics, port operations, transport engineering.

In this powerful episode of Project Cargo Professionals, we sit down with Humeira Aidarous Al Hashmi — the dynamic Regional General Manager of Blue Water Shipping — for a deep dive into the Middle East market.

From starting her career as a young operations assistant to leading a major project logistics organisation, Humeira shares the reality of carving out success in a traditionally male-dominated sector, the mentors who shaped her journey, and the resilience required to thrive in project cargo.

In this episode of Voices of Breakbulk Middle East, we explore:

• Her 20+ year rise across Transoceanic, Agility, Kanoo Shipping, CEVA and now Blue Water Shipping

• What it really takes to lead teams, build culture and develop young talent

• The evolving EPC landscape in the Middle East — including the rise of Korean, Indian, Chinese and regional players

• Market forces reshaping project logistics: Red Sea disruptions, carrier consolidation and geopolitical pressure

• The future of wind, renewables and Blue Water’s specialised port services

• How the UAE and Saudi Arabia differ in opportunity — and why she calls KSA her “second home”

• Her philosophy on leadership, mindset, work-life balance and building a legacy through people

• Why Breakbulk Middle East matters more than ever as the region becomes the global hub for project cargo

Humeira’s authenticity, humour and hard-earned industry wisdom make this a must-watch for anyone in heavy lift, EPC contracting, shipping, logistics or supply chain.

🎥 Recorded in Dubai, UAE

👉 Connect with Humeira on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humeira-aidarous-al-hashmi-064b0a19/

For all business enquires relating to the podcast, email Luke@prospectcomms.co.uk and visit https://www.projectcargopros.com/

About Voices of Breakbulk Middle East

This episode is part of our special Voices of Breakbulk Middle East series, celebrating a decade of the region’s leading event for project cargo. Register now for the 10th anniversary of Breakbulk Middle East, taking place Feb 4-5 in Dubai: https://middleeast.breakbulk.com/page/visitor-registration

About Hareket

Hareket is a leading provider of engineered heavy lifting, project transport, and crane solutions, serving customers across Eurasia, the Middle East, and Africa. With over 15 offices worldwide and nearly seven decades of experience, Hareket supports sectors including energy, petrochemicals, oil and gas, nuclear, renewable energy, and civil infrastructure. Listed on the Turkish Stock Exchange in 2024, the company ranks first in Turkey and among the top heavy-lift and crane providers globally. Hareket is recognised for its technical expertise, operational reliability and ability to deliver tailored solutions for large-scale, complex projects.

👉 Visit https://www.hareket.com/en/home-page

About SAL

SAL is one of the world’s leading heavy-lift and project cargo carriers, operating a modern fleet of specialised vessels with service speeds up to 20 knots, dynamic positioning systems, Fly-Jib capability and combined crane capacities of up to 2,000 tonnes. Together with SAL Intermarine, the company runs a global fleet supporting more than 1,200 employees across 27 offices worldwide. A member of the Harren Group, SAL is recognised for its high technical standards, safety and environmental performance, including its new Orca Class vessels. Alongside Jumbo Shipping, SAL also co-operates the JSI Alliance, providing comprehensive multipurpose, heavy-lift and offshore transport solutions.

👉 Visit https://sal.global

Blue Bell Shipping has quietly become one of the growth stories in the project logistics world — and, in the first episode of Voices of Breakbulk Middle East, we hear how it happened.

Aditya Menon joins us in London to unpack how a family-run firm founded by his father in 1987, has transformed into a 15-office boutique project forwarder, spanning the Middle East, Central Asia and beyond. From major EPC wins in Iraq to 54 aircraft charters into Kazakhstan, Blue Bell’s rise has been fast — and far from straightforward.

Adi tells host Luke King how the company learned to compete head-to-head with global logistics giants, why niche and frontier markets such as Iraq, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan were the right strategic bet, and how the company handled the pressures of rapid expansion, cash-flow strain and constant hiring.

We also discuss:

• How a small, family-owned forwarder can still beat the biggest players through service, trust, and agility.

• How one Iraq gas-plant project and a 54-flight charter series helped propel their growth.

• The stress and reality of opening offices across multiple countries — and how often it goes wrong.

• Why challenging markets create level playing fields that favour hungry forwarders.

• Blue Bell’s first real opportunity for acquisition — and where Adi thinks the right target might be.

• The delicate dynamics of joining a family business.

• How the company navigated the dramatic MV Minerva drone attack and what it revealed about carrier partnerships.

This is a story about ambition, risk, generational leadership — and how a company born in the ultra-competitive Dubai market is now aiming to become a major global player.

Another must-listen edition of Project Cargo Professionals.

🎥 Recorded at Hyve HQ in London, UK

👉 Connect with Adi Menon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditya-menon-5359a2a8/

For all business enquires relating to the podcast, email Luke@prospectcomms.co.uk and visit https://www.projectcargopros.com/

About Voices of Breakbulk Middle East

This episode is part of our special Voices of Breakbulk Middle East series, celebrating a decade of the region’s leading event for project cargo. Register now for the 10th anniversary of Breakbulk Middle East, taking place Feb 4-5 in Dubai: https://middleeast.breakbulk.com/page...

About SAL

SAL is one of the world’s leading heavy-lift and project cargo carriers, operating a modern fleet of specialised vessels with service speeds up to 20 knots, dynamic positioning systems, Fly-Jib capability and combined crane capacities of up to 2,000 tonnes. Together with SAL Intermarine, the company runs a global fleet supporting more than 1,200 employees across 27 offices worldwide. A member of the Harren Group, SAL is recognised for its high technical standards, safety and environmental performance, including its new Orca Class vessels. Alongside Jumbo Shipping, SAL also co-operates the JSI Alliance, providing comprehensive multipurpose, heavy-lift and offshore transport solutions.

👉 Visit

Richard Seeg on 35 Years of SAL Intermarine: Navigating Markets, Building a Breakbulk Brand, Shaping a Sector

In this special episode of Project Cargo Professionals, host Luke King sits down in Houston with Richard Seeg, President of SAL Intermarine, to reflect on the carrier’s remarkable 35-year journey — a story that mirrors the evolution of the breakbulk and multipurpose sector.

Richard explains how the company’s origins in 1990 were built on a simple philosophy — finding the right ship for the customer’s cargo — and how that customer-driven mindset carried the line through major shifts in global trade: from post-Soviet Russia, to the boom years of trans-Pacific power equipment, to Venezuela’s peak petrochemical build-out, to today’s fast-growing markets in Guyana and Suriname.

He shares stories from Intermarine’s early liner services, the highs and lows of market cycles, the political shocks that reshaped trade flows, and the brand’s enduring role as a specialist carrier across the Americas. We also explore the JSI Alliance — how it works in practice, what customers gain, and why combining fleets brings new flexibility and capability to the region.

Richard offers rare insight into fleet strategy, including the return of the iconic D-class “Mini Monsters”, and the operational realities of today’s Americas trades — from restrictive ports and mining corridors to the growing pull of power-grid equipment, data-centre infrastructure, and copper-driven mining demand.

He also opens up about his own life and leadership journey: formative years in the U.S. Navy, postings in Vietnam, Guam and Asia, the lessons he carried into commercial shipping, and the proudest moments and regrets that shaped his approach to people and management.

This is a candid, reflective, conversation with a respected names in project shipping — and a rare deep dive into how a breakbulk line survives and thrives across three and a half decades of global change.

🎥 Recorded in Houston, Texas

👉 Connect with Richard Seeg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardseeg/

For all business enquires relating to the podcast, email Luke@prospectcomms.co.uk