The signing of a “long term contract” with ADP comes after the region’s foremost naval shipwright outlined its play for commercial fleet maintenance, repair and conversion work to Seatrade Maritime News last month.
Key to the strategy is the acquisition of a year-old, 180m x 30m floating dock towed 45 days from Turkey. Combined with a dedicated 430mtrs of quay wall and over 12,000sq mtrs of dedicated yard facilities, the new facility significantly upgrades ADSB’s services capability.
ADSB’s Mussafah headquarters is 35km inland from Port Zayed and has till now restricted the company’s ability to service the vast commercial fleet plying the Arabian Gulf due to draught and lifting restrictions.
In addition to a Through Life Capability Management Service, the Port Zayed facility is designed to move ADSB “from being 90% shipbuilding, especially in military, to be 50% revenue wise from services by 2020,” ceo Dr Khaled Al Mazrouei (pictured right) said.
“The operational expansion of ADSB through the new floating dry dock in Zayed Port reflects the positive growth seen in the UAE ship building and repair sector,” Mazrouei said after signing the agreement with ADP ceo, captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi (pictured left).
“It is also a testament of the effective strategy ADSB has adopted to provide the most innovative MRO services to our customers regionally and internationally. The new 12,000 square metre area will assist in our vision to be a leading shipbuilding company, developing world class MRO services.”
Shamisi said: “In line with the UAE leadership’s vision to achieve the diversification of the national economy, our agreement with Abu Dhabi Ship Building to establish a ship repair facility and floating dock capability will play a key role in boosting the trade and maritime industry in Abu Dhabi and enhance the contribution of the sector to the UAE’s GDP.”
