NMDC wins $353.9m contract from AD Ports for Shamal Development marine works

Project is part of Khalifa Port in Taweelah, Abu Dhabi and is scheduled for completion in October 2023

National Marine Dredging Company has won an Dh1.3 billion contract from AD Ports Group for the engineering and construction of the Shamal Development marine works. Photo: NMDC

Abu Dhabi contractor National Marine Dredging Company has won a Dh1.3 billion ($353.9 million) contract from AD Ports for the engineering and construction works on the Shamal Development marine project.

The Shamal Development is part of Khalifa Port, located in Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, midway between Mina Zayed and Jebel Ali Port, which was built on a reclaimed artificial island reaching 4.5 kilometres offshore.

"The contract is part of our strategic plans to expand our operations in the UAE and beyond," said Yasser Zaghloul, group chief executive of NMDC. "We have strategic expansion plans for 2022 and the following years and as a group, we will be entering new markets and enhancing our presence in existing ones undertaking complex projects and sharing our expertise."

The company, an engineering, procurement, construction and marine dredging contractor in the Middle East, said the project will also create significant in-country value through its localised project execution.

The UAE's national in-country value programme is expected to create up to 120,000 jobs, localise supply chains, attract more investment and raise the private sector's contribution to local gross domestic product, government officials said last week. The programme aims to redirect Dh55bn of government spending on goods and services into the local economy by 2025, up from Dh39bn in 2020 when the unified ICV certification was created.

Work on the project will include the dredging of 16.8 million cubic metres, 1.2 kilometres of quay wall, construction of an approximately 3.8 kilometre detached breakwater and ground improvement works covering a million square metres along with environmental monitoring and protection measures.

The entire project is scheduled for completion in October 2023, NMDC said.

"This new development will help us further augment our infrastructure, operational and cargo handling capabilities, supporting our growth and accelerating trade flows in the region. In turn, the expansion cements Khalifa Port’s position as a major global trade and logistics hub," said Mohamed Al Shamisi, managing director and group chief executive of AD Ports Group.

AD Ports Group owns and manages 11 ports and terminals in the UAE and Guinea, including Khalifa Port, Zayed Port, Musaffah Port, Fujairah Terminals, Community Ports, Kamsar Port and Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal. It operates more than 550 square kilometres of industrial zones within Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi and ZonesCorp, the largest integrated trade, logistics and industrial business grouping in the Middle East.