Which countries attract most of the maritime talent? Not all maritime hubs are equal when it comes to attracting global maritime talent. In 2024, Menon Economics and DNV published a report on the leading maritime cities of the world, naming Singapore as the top maritime city-state. The Netherlands came right after, followed by the UK, China and Norway.
Singapore remains one of the biggest data pools in the Spinnaker 2025 Salary Survey, accounting for 12% of the global data. It is also one of the most expat-heavy countries, with 45% of the sample being non-Singaporean nationals. This shows Singapore’s continued attractiveness as a country to relocate to as a maritime professional.

Indeed, Singapore is minimally affected by global conflicts, while boasting pro business policies, supportive governance, transparency and political stability.
According to Menon Economics, Singapore has consistently attracted international maritime firms to set up their headquarters, being strategically positioned at the crossroads of major trade and shipping routes connecting the East and the West. It serves as a gateway for business to access high growth markets, such as China, Southeast Asia, and India.
The UK, mainly London, has kept its position as the second most attractive location for maritime headquarters, with the high competency level of its maritime education institutions and maritime law & finance establishments.

In recent years, we have noticed that Middle East is becoming progressively more attractive for maritime businesses and expats alike and especially for shipping operators. The Middle East region’s growing trade demands have increased Dubai’s prominence as a strategically positioned port city between Asia and Europe to facilitate global commerce. Skilled professionals relocate to Dubai because of its diverse environment, liberal working visa policy and advanced infrastructure. Dubai’s government implements tax incentives, policies and strategic initiatives that encourage business development.

India has historically been the most represented country in the Spinnaker reports – in 2025, it accounted for 19% of the total data. However, only 0.1% of the Indian data sample are expats. This indicates that a big proportion of the maritime roles in the country are filled by the domestic professionals. Complex visa formalities also contribute to the relatively low expat presence in the industry. Menon Economics estimates that Singapore will likely retain its leading maritime status in the future due to the size of it’s port, number of internationally focused shipbrokers, financiers, lawyers and insurers present. Shanghai might become a more prominent maritime hub in the coming years as the Chinese economy grows. Dubai will likely keep growing its maritime influence as the preferred city for maritime activities, covering the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Africa.

20 Jakobsen, E. et al. (2024) The Leading Maritime Cities Of The World. DNV. Available at: https://www.dnv.com/maritime/publications/the-leading-maritime-cities-in-the-world-in-2024

21 Häzaq, A. (2024). India: A land of challenges for expats despite opportunities. Expat Magazine. Available at: https://www.expat.com/en/expat-mag/9924-learn-why-india-remains-a-land-of-challenges-for-expats-des…