UAE-based Grandweld, a leading shipyard, is showcasing its manufacturing capabilities, while highlighting the UAE’s cutting-edge quality in the shipbuilding industry and its competitiveness in both engineering quality and economic feasibility, at an event in France.

Grandweld is focusing on its outstanding strengths in tug, salvage and offshore service boat repair and maintenance at the International Tug, Salvage & OSV Convention and Exhibition (ITS), which opened on June 25 and will run until June 29, at the Parc Chanot Convention Centre, Marseille.

The ITS event marks its 50th anniversary of being the leading convention and exhibition of its kind in the world, which attracts top-level executives and decision makers from around the globe.

Grandweld is participating in ITS to highlight the outstanding capabilities of the shipbuilding industry in the UAE, said a statement from the company.

Eng Jamal Abki, general manager of Grandweld Shipyards, said: “We are proud that our company is based in the UAE. This has helped us develop our manufacturing performance to be among the fastest and most efficient companies in the region.”

“This is the result of the excellent business environment provided by the UAE and its legal and legislative system,” he said.

“The world's largest ship owners come to us for building and servicing their boats. They have realised the commercial viability of our services and the value-added quality of our services compared to other places around the world,” he added.

Abki continued: “In addition to the competitive advantages offered by the UAE and its industrial environment, our presence at Dubai Maritime City (DMC) has given us additional competitive advantages.”

“DMC is a comprehensive marine complex that accommodates many specialised international companies. We have benefited from this opportunity to build an internal work cycle that is considered the fastest of its kind in manufacturing and maintenance,” he said.

“This gives our company an advantage and makes it an attractive option for boat owners. Every day the boat stops during maintenance is a loss for its owner. Hence, our shipyard offers the highest level of maintenance services with the quickest turn-around time. This is what our customers are always looking for,” he added.

Abki noted: “We have one of the largest covered shipbuilding yards in the region for shipbuilding and manufacturing, which gives us a particularly competitive advantage as it ensures maximum welding quality in the absence of wind.”

“This is critical in having a strong and durable hulks that endure the pressure and tensile strength factors of tug, salvage and offshore service vessels on high seas. The covered area also enables our teams to work round the clock and during midday when it’s too hot outdoors; helping us complete the manufacturing and maintenance work better and faster than our competitors,” he said.

Abki commended the new decisions announced by the Cabinet to stimulate the investment and industry sector in the UAE. These decisions coincided with launching the ‘Ala'azm (Determination) Strategy’, establishing the Saudi-Emirati Coordination Council, and the ambitious economic projects that accompany this major achievement. The new initiative focuses on supporting the oil, gas, and offshore field sectors, which will attract many tugboats and offshore service ships to the region. This in turn, will support the shipbuilding and ship maintenance sector.

"Our participation at the event is a remarkable opportunity for us to inform the global shipping industry about the ‘Ala'azm Strategy’ and the exceptional business opportunities that it provides to investors. The new initiative further leads the UAE to become the ideal gateway and the preferred maritime hub worldwide," concluded Abki. – TradeArabia News Service