Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) has moved its fleet of tug boats operated by its subsidiary ADPC Marine Services to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) classification society TASNEEF.
TASNEEF was established in 2012 as the very first classification society in the United Arab Emirates as well as in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and Arab world. TASNEEF is responsible for issuing mandatory certificates that are required internationally to be provided by ships, which are important to ensure the safety as well as to ensure the protection of the environment in accordance with SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea), and MARPOL (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships).
The new contracts will give the classification society the authority to inspect and confirm the vessels adherence to international accredited technical standards. The classification society will carry out regular surveys of the vessels, to ensure continuing compliance.
Eng. Rashed Al Hebsi, TASNEEF CEO , said: “We are very proud of the valuable trust that was given to ADPC by classifying its fleet by the National body. This will contribute to the refinement of national experiences and will open the gate for international cooperation. We wish for other national companies to follow the same step as ADPC, by registering and classifying their ships in the UAE. Doing that will enhance the capability of the UAE fleets.”
The company plans to increase its tug fleet in the near future and has expressed its intention to register any additional vessels with TASNEEF if and when appropriate.
The move reflects the growth of the maritime sector in the Middle East which is already an important import/export region and a key hub for the movement of goods.
Industry analysts predict that the South – South (Asia, Intra Asia – Middle East) trade shift from a predominantly South – North trade balance (Asia to Europe) will transform the industry over next 20 years – the result being that the Middle East will be positioned as one of top 20 global trade lanes of the world.
[mappress] May 21, 2014, Image: ADPC