Sun Ship Management (D) Ltd. is listed as an active entity with offices at an address in the DIFC. The website lists SCF as its partners and technical team.
The company has been targeted by EU sanctions, freezing its EU assets and banning financing the company from the bloc.
Vladimir Oskirko, Alexey Khaidukov, Alexander Verbo and Andrey Kontsenebin are listed as Sun Ship directors. Star Choice (Hong Kong) Limited are said to be shareholders. Sun Ship’s licence type is given as ‘non-regulated,’ while its legal structure is that of a ‘private company.’
The registry said that earlier iterations saw the company registered as SCF Overseas Management Company Limited until 29 October 2015, and SCF Management Services (Dubai) Ltd. until 5 July 2022. ‘SCF’ is understood to be a reference to Sovcomflot and is a common abbreviation for the Russian shipowner.
Ever since the UAE abstained in a UN Security Council vote condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine a year ago, concern has been mounting over the its lack of interest in participating in Western sanctions against Russia, with the suspicion that its oligarchs are fleeing to Dubai in droves.
Other commentators note political reasons for the UAE’s tacit support of Russian endeavour.
Dubai, in particular, is keen to project its status as a growing business hub that it open to businesses from all points of the compass which seek to set up operations in the Middle East economic hub.
The LinkedIn profile of one of the Sun Ship officers listed in the DIFC Public Register indicated that the individual had served with SCF Management Services (Dubai) Ltd. (Sovcomflot Group) for over a decade.
Sun Ship Management’s website says the company was established in 2012 as a multi-activity shipping company owned by UAE and Russian nationals and managed by multinationals, with a fleet of 92 vessels of various kinds.
“We own, manage and operate a fleet of 92 oil, crude oil, LNG and chemical vessels with a capacity of more than 150,000 tons DWT. In addition to being agents for leading shipping companies, we also offer a host of world class shipping services to our clients across the region,” it said.
“The strong worldwide network of alliances and partnerships that Sun Ship Management Company enjoys is the result of 10 years of reliability and committed professionalism.”
A news report last week detailed how Russia was selling weapons at an Abu Dhabi arms fair despite sanctions over the Ukraine war. According to the report, Denis Manturov, Russia’s minister of trade and industry, was identified as attending the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) show in the UAE capital.
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