Bahrain-based Hull Diving Services is working on $1.5 million projects with underwater communications giant TE SubCom, it said at the Gulf Industry Fair.

A marine services company, Hull Diving Services is specialized in hull cleaning, propeller polishing and various other marine works.

"TE SubCom are the leading international underwater cable company with about 40 per cent of the fibre optic offshore market," said Hull general manager Mohammed Janahi.

"About 90 per cent of our contracts are international and we have worked all over the world including across the GCC, India, Indonesia and now potentially in New Zealand," he added.

"We recruit and train Bahrainis to become deep sea divers," said Hull operations manager Ross Powell.

"We pay half their training courses which they undertake under the Health and Safety Executive in the UK.

"We charge them 50 per cent when they get qualified while working for us," he added.

"Once you are qualified you can command a minimum of $90 a day but once you have experience you can charge $450 a day," he revealed.

"We provide the training and give the divers experience and then they can move on on their own," said Powell.

"Currently, we have a total staff of 12 people including seven commercial divers but we can always call in more when we need them," he said.

"We have had as many as 70 divers working across four countries in the past," he added.-TradeArabia News Service