The new company, to be christened WaterFront Maritime Services, will offer services to shipowners and charterers with wet and dry bulk cargoes.

WaterFront will be headquartered in Dubai with commercial offices in Singapore and Miami.

Ben Line and Sharaf Group, two leading regional players in the Middle East and Asia, are looking to secure a global footprint.

Kapil Celly, executive director of Sharaf Group and director of WaterFront, said: “Sharaf is the commanding presence for ship agency services across the Middle East and Africa, as well as the Indian subcontinent.