Bahrain’s maritime regulator General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) has awarded a major contract to Sri Lankan group Affno to build and set up an online portal for the Ship Registry.

As per the contract, Affno and its Middle East partner based in Bahrain, Third Wave International, will set up new auto notification system to facilitate GOP to stay connected with customers worldwide.

GOP said the new portal is part of its initiative in its groundwork to prepare Bahrain‘s Ship Registry as an open registry thereby facilitating ships to sail under the Bahraini flag.

The new portal will facilitate GOP’s customers anywhere in the world to have easy access to the different automated services provided by Ship Registry.

It will include an exclusive auto notification system which will send notices and updates to the GOP’s customers using a simple easy-to-use SMS interface or by emails. Additionally, a fully integrated financial system, which will issue invoices and facilitate online payment, will also be available. This portal is expected to be ready by September 2011.

Commenting on the announcement, GOP director general, Hassan Ali Al Majed said: 'The signing of the agreement is a significant milestone for us and is in keeping with the GOP’s preparations to set up Bahrain’s Open Ship Registry.'

'We are confident that this contract will help us to build an effective portal that meets the highest international standards, and which will facilitate the interaction of our prospective and existing customers worldwide with the services we offer,' he stated.
 
'At GOP, we continuously strive to utilize the latest technologies in all our projects, which allows us to stay on the cutting edge of our industry,' said Al Majed.

The GOP will be responsible for the operation and management of the new portal once it is completed.

As per the deal, Affno and Third Wave International will train the Ship Registry and IT staff in addition to GOP customers and help them get acquainted with the system and its operation. 

'Partnerships with top technology providers such as Affno and Third Wave will help us  maintain Bahrain’s leadership position in maritime and logistics industry, and help GOP maintain high levels of efficiency, and enhance our offering to customers,' he added.

GOP remains committed to demonstrating the professional excellence of the maritime and shipping industry and offering quality services to meet the increasing needs of users and stakeholders alike, said Al Majed.

The GOP was recently awarded the ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems certification for conformity to international standards across all departments within the organisation, he added.-TradeArabia News Service