UAE’s AD Ports Group, Premier Marine form drydocks JV

AD Ports Group and UAE-based shipyard company Premier Marine are creating a joint venture (JV) that will offer a broad range of vital services including drydocking, afloat repairs, shipbuilding and refurbishment.

SAFEEN Drydocks, as the new enterprise is known, will be owned 51 per cent by AD Ports and Premier Marine will have a 49 per cent shareholding in the venture. The floating dry dock is expected to open doors for business in July 2023, while the shipyard has already begun work with the construction of two barges for a UAE-based client.

Once fully operational, the hub will be operated by SAFEEN Drydocks and be fully equipped to accommodate a range of vessel types including tankers, bulk vessels, container ships, offshore vessels and jack-ups.

“The establishment of SAFEEN Drydocks is a milestone development for SAFEEN Group as it significantly broadens our scope of services and ability to serve the regional maritime industry,” said Ammar Mubarak Al Shaiba, acting CEO of Maritime Cluster and SAFEEN Group, AD Ports Group.

The hub of SAFEEN Drydocks’ operations will be located at the Khalifa Port and encompass a 45,000 square metres shipyard and repair facility, 350 metres quay wall for vessel afloat repair and a floating dry dock for vessel maintenance and refurbishment.

The joint venture will leverage AD Ports’ reputation as one of the world’s facilitators of maritime logistics, industry and trade while contributing to quay space at Khalifa Port for the development and operations of the new services hub.

It will also leverage Premier Marine’s technical experience in building, repairing and maintaining vessels and other maritime assets. The two entities seek to serve the needs not only of SAFEEN Group’s maritime fleet but also a diverse regional and global client base spanning the shipping and offshore maritime sectors.

AD Ports expands Khalifa Port drydocks

Meanwhile, AD Ports announced that it plans to further expand Khalifa Port to include drydock services in May. With the expansion, Khalifa Port has expanded its range of port and marine logistics services, from container and cargo handling to vessel repairs and maintenance.

The addition of drydock services is expected to enable Khalifa Port to meet the growing demand for these services from regional and international clients.

Khalifa Port’s expansion into drydocks is just the latest in a series of strategic moves the Group has made to position itself for long-term success. AD Ports, which is controlled by state investor ADQ, operates the deepwater Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi along with other ports and logistics parks in the city and the Indian Ocean Fujairah port.

Earlier in June, the ports operator inked a 25 years agreement with Crystal Offshore, a Singaporean one-stop logistics solution provider, as the company continues to further diversify its service offerings in the UAE and abroad.

Under the agreement, a 20,000 square metre plot of land and an associated quay wall in Khalifa Port will be allocated for Crystal Offshore to construct a base, featuring office facilities and fabrication workshops to provide advanced repairs and refits to jack-up rigs as well as marine and offshore vessels.

Read: AD Ports Group to expand Khalifa Port with drydock services