The Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport Branch in Sharjah (AASTS) has signed an agreement with Dubai Police to cooperate in education, training and research in maritime security.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Dr Ismail Abdel Ghaffar Ismail Farag, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, and Major General Prof Dr Mohammed Ahmed bin Fahd, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of Academic and Training Affairs at Dubai Police.

The MoU opens the door for cooperation in employing academic capabilities and resources to develop training in maritime safety and security, as well as enhance communication, coordination, and sharing of knowledge and experiences; leading to joint work in training.

Dr Farag said: “This agreement is part of comprehensive preparations at the Academy to enhance our role as a major partner with the UAE in preparing for the next 50 years. The UAE is a leading global maritime hub and its maritime sector is one of the best worldwide in terms of infrastructure, ports and operational resources. Through our branch in Sharjah, we play a role by preparing highly-qualified Emiratis to lead the maritime sector. We hope that our graduates will be part of the celebrations of the UAE leadership and people when the last barrel of oil is exported in fifty years.”

Major General Prof. Dr. Mohammed Ahmed bin Fahd said: "This agreement comes at a crucial time for us at Dubai Police. The Emirate's coast is unique compared to other coasts in the region. Our coastline is constantly growing and changing. There is continuous development of real estate projects, waterfronts, and marinas for luxury yachts, ships and boats.

“Moreover, Dubai’s ports are among the most active, receiving over 21,000 ships and giant tankers annually. This makes the traditional ways of maritime protection and safety inadequate, and forces us to adopt modern technologies such as the Internet of Things, robots, autonomous boats, and artificial intelligence to strengthen our security tools. All of this requires special training and preparation for our people.”

The agreement includes cooperation in many areas including maritime education and training, studies in maritime security, providing training courses in maritime security, in addition to benefiting from the Academy’s capabilities in artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to build a system of smart and advanced sensors that monitor all indicators necessary to build a comprehensive and accurate picture of the state of the marine environment in Dubai, supporting the development of blue economy and environmental sustainability.

This is part of a comprehensive plan to provide specialised research in vital areas such as marine oil pollution, sea water quality, and the preservation of natural marine reserves, within the Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Capt Ahmed Youssef, Associate Dean, College of Maritime Transport and Technology, AASTS said: "This cooperation will also reflect positively on our students who will have the opportunity to train and deal with security and maritime safety experts in Dubai Police, to learn from them and acquire new skills. This will give a competitive advantage to our students at AASTS, compared to other maritime academies and even traditional universities. It will open up new fields of work for our students to whom we pledged that the degree they will receive from AASTS will be among the best university degrees worldwide.”

The agreement also includes developing an awareness programme in the UAE to promote all joint activities, attract more candidates for maritime studies, coordinate public participation in events, hold conferences and workshops in maritime security, as well as cooperate in maritime legislation and laws. Marasi News platform has announced its full support for this campaign, by allocating a permanent space to publish and cover all news related to this partnership. – TradeArabia News Service