ISLAMABAD: The four-day Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) 2025 kicked off in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Monday, with over 133 delegates from 44 countries attending as Islamabad aims to attract international investment in its maritime sector. 

The global exhibition’s second edition will run from Nov. 3 to 6 and will feature 178 exhibitors — including 28 international firms and 150 local organizations — as well as 133 delegates from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America. 

“The event will feature business-to-business and business-to-government meetings, MoU signing and an International Maritime Conference on ‘Harnessing Blue Economy Potential for Sustainable Development’,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 

Pakistan Navy’s Vice Admiral Muhammad Faisal Abbasi said on Saturday that PIMEC aimed to advance Pakistan’s blue economy roadmap. He added that officials and representatives from 44 countries, including the UK, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Türkiye, Egypt, China and Australia will also attend.

Pakistan’s state media said these high-level engagements among foreign delegates, senior government officials and maritime stakeholders are aimed at fostering collaboration and building partnerships across key maritime sectors including ports, shipping, fisheries and coastal development.

According to its website, PIMEC will provide opportunities to the maritime industry, both in the public and private sectors, to display products and develop business relationships. 

PIMEC says it intends to provide a platform to bring together stakeholders from diverse maritime industries of hydrocarbon extraction, coastal development and shipping port, infrastructure, fisheries, marine tourism, offshore renewable energy, aquaculture, seabed mining, marine biotechnology and others to exploit the ocean’s untapped resources.