A vote for independence from the UK would have a negative effect on the Scottish shipping and offshore maritime sector, according to a survey by international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens.

Declining in value by 3.3 percent from 2012, the freight forwarding market is facing major challenges as it fights to stay viable in a changing global environment. This is one of the main conclusions of the latest report from Transport Intelligence, Global Freight Forwarding 2014.

The CEO of Maersk Group toured Nigeria, Angola and Ghana in a bid to focus on African infrastructure improvements. As African economies boom, infrastructure improvements become more important to turning the growth into sustainable development, and Maersk is planning to take a role in this transition.

The GCC countries are allocating $36bn to further develop their port infrastructure amid increasing foreign non-oil trade volumes. Saudi Arabia is powering ahead with port infrastructure development with more than $750m allocated to Dammam's King Abdul Aziz Port, which includes the launch of a second high-tech container terminal in 2015 with capacity for 1.8 million TEUs per annum.