Albwardy Damen, a joint venture between Dubai-based Albwardy Investments and Damen Shipyards Group, has signed an agreement with Oman's Sohar Port and Freezone to open a repair workshop.

The signing took place at Sohar Port and Freezone’s head office in Oman, and was represented by Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of Sohar Port, and Albwardy Damen was represented by Ibrahim Mohamed Al Shidi.

The agreement will see the installation of a 40-ft workshop container at a service jetty in the port, in collaboration with Albwardy Damen’s Omani partner, Sawahel Sohar Al Almya, and will be Albwardy Damen’s fourth operational location in the Middle East, along with those in Sharjah, Dubai and Fujairah, said a statement.

Mark Geilenkirchen said: “Albwardy Damen is one of the renowned shipbuilding and ship repair providers in the Middle East. Our partnership with them is truly a reflection of our efforts to provide all our clients with state-of-the-art and high-quality services.”

“The new service will also be a valuable addition to our offerings here at Sohar, further enriching our offerings, to ensure that we continue on our path of growth and progress in the region,” he added.

The upcoming workshop will be fitted out with relevant machinery and tools, including lathe, press, drilling and welding machines to offer easy and quick services for vessels calling at the port. There will also be the presence of certified engineers, to meet requisite customer needs.

Mark Pearson, operations director of Albwardy Damen, said: “Vessels calling into Sohar will also be able to benefit from the underwater services that are provided by Albwardy Damen Diving, which has an extensive history in serving the marine industry since 1995.”

“The workshop container is currently being fabricated and we look forward to delivering it to Sohar,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service