Keeping a firm eye on the big league.

(From Lloyds List)

DUBAI'S inexorable growth has seen the emirate transformed into one of the world's leading and most influential trade hubs, writes Christopher Mayer.

Last year the growth in container throughput averaged around 24% for the third year in succession, with Dubai Ports Authority handling 6.42m teu enough to propel it towards the top of the world's major league.

The 6.42m teu represented growth of 24.6% over the previous year, according to analysts, and was only five percentage points off the 28% increases logged by the Chinese ports of Shenzen and Shanghai.

By way of comparison Hong Kong, at the top of the global league …