Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) has revealed the successful completion of maritime traffic inspections conducted across the regional waters of the emirate during the first six months of 2019.

This represents a strong push in the move to enhance maritime regulatory processes and operational procedures and in the efforts to promote Dubai on the global maritime map, said a statement from DMCA.

The DMCA's Maritime Inspections Department has reported conducting extensive inspections between January to June of this year, which saw remarkable participation from marine, commercial, tourism, sports, recreational and traditional marine segments, as well as a series of maritime safety campaigns aimed at enhancing the integration of maritime safety, safe navigation and efficiency operating along the waters of Dubai, it said.

DMCA, which is a key pillar in ensuring compliance with local and international standards, has recently entered the list of the world's best maritime capitals for 2019.

The marine inspection department has made significant progress in increasing awareness and education to enable boat owners and operators to identify the best ways to ensure the highest standards of maritime safety to a more safe, renewable and attractive environment for regional and international investors - falling in line with Dubai's leading position as a highly competitive, comprehensive and sustainable marine hub, it added.

Abdullah Bin Touk, director of marine inspection, DMCA, said: “We continue to ensure the safety and security of lives and property within Dubai's regional waters, which falls in line with local and international standards, by holding awareness and education campaigns and conducting comprehensive inspections under the supervision of qualified human resources.”

“The expansion of maritime traffic inspections within the local regional waters during the first half of this year confirms our keenness to manage maritime operations according to the highest standards of occupational safety and environmental practices and local and international decisions, thus enhancing Dubai's leading position among key players within the global maritime landscape,” he said.

Bin Touk continued: “These inspections are part of our efforts to respond effectively to the growth of the maritime movement, which is a result of the growing confidence in the local marine environment in light of the pioneering efforts of DMCA to improve all aspects of the maritime sector through fruitful partnerships with the public and private sectors.”

“It is our responsibility to take all measures to ensure the efficiency of maritime operations, considering all aspects related to environmental safety and security, in line with our aspirations to achieve the objectives of the ‘Dubai Maritime Sector Strategy’,” he said.

“The growth of the maritime movement confirms Dubai's pioneering position as one of the most competitive and attractive maritime clusters in the world. During the first half of this year, marine inspections were characterized by the adoption of state-of-the-art smart devices to complete and the ability to issue reports and licenses directly on board of the marine vessels of all kinds,” he added.

“We look forward to raising awareness about ensuring safe navigation and the successful operation of all maritime methods, using the latest technological innovations and in joint coordination with our strategic partners throughout the year, in line with our efforts to improve maritime, logistics and marine services and operations to promote Dubai’s position as a leading maritime centre globally,” concluded Bin Touk.

In pursuit of the successful completion of maritime inspections, DMCA has launched a new Smart Portal (https://eservices.dmca.ae) to provide integrated and adoptive services and smart turnaround, including the scheduling of inspections, tracking the status of required services and notifications about updates and announcements where customers can receive email and SMS notifications as well as a verification checklist.

Once the inspection is done electronically via the Internet or at the DMCA office, customers will receive notices and inspection reports via e-mail. Full support can also be obtained by calling the DMCA toll free number 8008855.

DMCA continues its efforts to implement comprehensive awareness campaigns aimed at raising the awareness of the maritime community across all aspects related to maritime safety, including noise reduction and emergency response, while also ensuring the readiness of vessels to sail within the waters of Dubai, compliance with standards related to speed, load, communication devices and maritime safety tools, among others.

DMCA also pays great attention to environmental security as it focuses on educating ship owners and operators on the importance of compliance with best environmental practices, while also ensuring that no garbage or oil is thrown into the water. DMCA’s awareness campaigns also looks towards making sure that sailing and swimming activities are done across duly designated areas and avoiding any activities on restricted areas or standing in the channels, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service