13,500 TEU container vessel “Al Ula”, constructed at Samsung Heavy Industries’ (SHI) shipyard in Geoje – South Korea, was named on April 2nd 2012 during her maiden voyage. The Naming Ceremony was hosted jointly by UASC and UASAC (KSA) in collaboration with the Red Sea Gate Terminal (RSGT), held at the Jeddah Islamic Port.
“Al Ula” takes her name after the Oasis of the Ancient Dedan city situated between Al Madinah and Tabuk at the center of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
During the Naming Ceremony senior UASC and UASAC staff welcomed their guests from Port Authority officials, Chamber of Commerce officials Key company Customers from the Kingdom, as well as other guests from the Container Shipping Industry.
Dr. Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al-Ohaly Member on UASC’s Board of Directors and Sponsor of “Al Ula” commented at the Ceremony: “ This Ceremony represents a special occasion for us as apart from naming the ship “AlUla” after an area in our beloved Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the event itself is also a reflection of UASC’s steadfast commitment to grow the Company and strengthen its services to enable it to compete as a leader in the container shipping industry. We wish her safe sailings with her crew ”
Mr. Abdulrahman Bin Mohammed El-Sehebani – Member on UASC’s Board of Directors , added: “ UASC’s strategy towards growing its capacity and upgrading its network of services has always been customer centric, and we will continue to invest our efforts to deliver a best in class service to our valuable Customers ”.
Mohamed AL Mazeedi, Vice President for the Middle East Region at UASC said at the ceremony: “ The delivery and deployment of our new fleet of 13,500 TEU ships marks a new era for UASC. These ultra large container vessels allow us to offer enhanced shipping services to our Customers notably towards ensuring wider geographical coverage and faster transit times. AL ULA will join UASC’s AEC8 service covering the trade between Asia and North Europe with calls in Jeddah, in both directions ”.
“Al Ula” is the fourth A13 delivered to UASC in a series of nine A13 class container ships on order from SHI with the scheduled delivery of the remaining five within less than two months.
With an overall length of 366m, and powered by a Doosan MAN B&W main engine, the AL ULA can operate at a service speed of around 25 knots. The new ship has a capacity for 800 40ft reefer containers on deck and has three holds designed for hazardous cargoes.
With the new nine A13s joining UASC’s fleet, the Company will now own and operate a total of 49 container ships and the A13 class vessels will be by far the biggest in this fleet.
The investment in the A13 class vessels is expected to yield important economies of scale for UASC, allowing the Company to compete more effectively on a wider geographical spread, while ensuring a superior and faster service to Customers with the most competitive transit times available in the market.
AL ULA and her sisters are not only more economical, but are also very environment-friendly vessels, incorporating the latest technology in a number of fields. All the vessels are fitted with Waste Heat Recovery Systems, which convert exhaust gases to electric power and reduce carbon emissions, the vessels’ hull is coated with a special silicone paint designed to reduce water resistance and so cut fuel consumption.
In advance of the arrival of the new ships, UASC has also stepped up its container purchasing programme, investing in new standard and reefer container units, while the company’s new fully integrated liner management system called TRUST has recently become operational. This system will enhance UASC’s e-commerce capabilities allowing customers to make transactions online more easily.
[mappress] Source: UASC, April 4, 2012