Nakilat-SvitzerWijsmuller has awarded the UAE’s Albwardy Marine Engineering a major contract worth Dh25 million ($6.8 million) to build five tug boats. 

A keel-laying ceremony for the building of the five boats was held at the Dubai Ship Dockyard in Al Jaddaf.

Nakilat-SvitzerWijsmuller is the joint venture company set-up by SvitzerWijsmuller and Qatar Gas Transport Company – Nakilat.

It was attended by Bo Vestbirk Laub (regional MD Middle East and India, Svitzer), Capt Yaseen Ali Al Binali (operations and local business dev director and board member, Nakilat), Capt Henk Venema (GM - Nakilat-SvitzerWijsmuller), Richard Leistra (Port Captain Nakilat-SvitzerWijsmuller), JJ Schmidt (Schalmke Advies), Gary Eden (Sr Surveyor, LRS Dubai) and Robert Banks along with senior Albwardy Marine Engineering staff.

Robert Banks, managing director of Albwardy Marine Engineering, said:

“We are pleased to win this contract in the face of strong international competition, and is a reflection of the quality of services provided by Albwardy Marine Engineering.

“It also demonstrates the capability of companies in the UAE to provide a high level of expertise and skills that are on par with international standards.

“The deal with Svitzer Wijsmuller certainly represents a milestone for Albwardy Marine Engineering.

“We are excited at the prospect of embarking on a partnership that will further enhance our image internationally.”

Banks, a marine chief engineer & ex ship’s Superintendent with over 40 years experience in the marine engineering field, is credited with steering the business on a successful course.

Established in 1978, Albwardy Marine Engineering, which is part of the renowned Albwardy Group, has been providing total solutions for professional ship repair, marine engineering, diving, hydraulic and electrical services to all major regional and international shipping companies.

Headquartered in Dubai with fully equipped shipyards and satellite workshops in Fujairah (UAE) and Salalah (Oman), Albwardy Marine Engineering is owned by UAE national, Ali Saeed Juma Albwardy.

In 1997, Albwardy Marine Engineering became involved in ship construction and conversion. Originally dependent on outside consultants for design and naval architecture work, Albwardy Marine Engineering has since expanded to include an in house design office of their own with six highly qualified naval architects in 2003. Albwardy currently employs a workforce of over 800 employees.

With a wealth of expertise at their disposal, the group has experienced huge success since the second half of 2006.

On February 28, HRH Prince Charles commissioned the MV Flying Angel, a twin-screw steel support boat built for the Mission to Seafarers organisation.

Other major projects undertaken by Albwardy Marine Engineering include a multi purpose Anchor Handling vessel for Team Shipping which is nearing completion, two jet fuel barges for Tristar Energy, that are currently being assembled on the banks of the river Nile in Sudan and the SIERRA 3, a self propelled Special Service/Maintenance vessel for Safe Sea Trading FZCO that was delivered in 2006.

Nakilat was established in 2004 and is a joint stock company owned 50 per cent by its founding shareholders and 50 per cent by the public as a result of an IPO in 2005.

It is building a large fleet of vessels to transport LNG produced from Qatar’s North Field, the world’s largest non-associated gas field with approximately 15 per cent of the world’s total proven reserves to global markets.

By 2010, Nakilat expects to own up to 56 LNG vessels, making it one of the largest LNG ship owners in the world.

Established in 1833, Svitzer Wijsmuller has developed a number of specialist and inter-related services within harbour, terminal, and ocean towage, salvage and emergency response as<