Bahrain is planning to open up its ships register to international owners as part of plans to make the country a centre of maritime trade and expertise.

The move would enable hundreds of vessels to set up businesses here and take advantage of the country's facilities, said General Organisation of Seaports (GOP) chairman Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa.

'This will be a huge boost to the shipping industry in Bahrain, which is already in the throes of rapid development,' he said on the sidelines of a maritime law seminar.

The one-day event, at the Gulf Hotel, was held for lawyers and other legal experts to discuss the upcoming Maritime Law, now being prepared by the GOP.

'The draft of the law is ready and is now being finalised,' Shaikh Daij told the GDN.

'One of the points in the new law is to open the registry that will make it possible for overseas owners to register in Bahrain.

'At present, only Bahrain-owned ships are registered.'

Shaikh Daij said the plan would enable hundreds of ships to register in Bahrain and take advantage of the facilities it has to offer.

'We now have one of the best facilities in the world for international shipping and we invite the world to take advantage of them,' he said.

'Should it be passed into law, there will be many Bahrain registered ships actually owned by foreign nationals and financed by foreign financial institutions.

'But Bahrain being the flag state of such ships, most of the disputes will be settled through arbitration and litigation in the kingdom.

'The need for a credible legal system with expertise in the local legal community will be essential to sustain such a development and growth.'

Shaikh Daij said he hoped the new law would be sent to the government for discussions and then go to the Cabinet.

'It would then undergo the usual process before it is implemented. We hope it will happen very soon,' he said.

Shaikh Daij said the existing law in Bahrain was implemented in 1982 and was nearly 30-years-old.

'It would also enable us to meet our current and future obligations to the International Maritime Organisation,' he said.

Shaikh Daij said the idea was to establish Bahrain as a centre of maritime trade and expertise.

'Once we open the register, we hope to attract more tonnage to the flag,' he said.

It will also establish Bahrain as a quality register and ensure compliance with international norms and conventions, said Shaikh Daij.

'This will also add depth to the state's existing maritime offering and expand its portfolio of services to the industry,' he added.

Shaikh Daij said Bahrain's legal community would play an essential role in promoting and sustaining the envisaged growth.

GOP maritime adviser Fazlur Chowdhury said the time was right for Bahraini to introduce a maritime law.

'We intend to discuss soon with a leading Bahrain university to explore the possibility of starting a master's course in maritime studies,' he said.

'The course will create graduates with knowledge and skills to contribute and further develop maritime activities in Bahrain.

Chowdhury said until that happened Bahrain would do well to send its young lawyers to train at the International Maritime Law Institute in Valetta, Malta.

'We are developing very fast and there are exciting times ahead for the shipping industry in Bahrain. We have to ready ourselves for that,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service