Safeen Drydocks, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Ports Group and Dubai's Premier Marine Engineering Services, has secured two shipbuilding contracts worth Dh1.3 billion ($354 million).
The first deal involves building four 140-metre multipurpose ships for AD Ports, the company said on Thursday. They will be used for cargo and logistics. Each has a capacity of 105 passengers, up to 300 containers, up to 1,000 cars and 100 trailers, it added.
The second contract, with Nigeria’s Oilbank Logistics Services, is for the construction of 18 specialised marine support units, including tugboats and pilot boats, AD Ports said. The ships will support port operations and offshore logistics in the African nation.
These projects are some of the biggest shipbuilding programmes for Safeen, locally and internationally, AD Ports said.
AD Ports has a 51 per cent stake in Safeen, which was set up in 2023. It operates under Noatum Maritime, which is a major component of AD Ports' maritime and shipping portfolio.
The company did not break down the individual costs of the projects or provide a time frame for their delivery.
“These contract awards demonstrate Safeen Drydocks’ ability to deliver complex vessel construction programmes for both local and international customers,” said Ammar Al Shaiba, chief executive of AD Ports' maritime and shipping cluster.
“Expanding in-country capacity remains strategically important, supporting industrial growth, strengthening resilience across the maritime sector and reinforcing the UAE’s position as an emerging regional shipbuilding hub.”
AD Ports Group, which posted a 43 per cent profit increase in the first quarter of this year, also recently signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi chemicals group Borouge to study the concept of an alternative export hub at Fujairah on the country’s east coast.
The UAE has been seeking to improve its logistics sector amid the disruption caused by the Iran war.
Safeen's new contracts support the localisation of expertise and bolster the UAE’s ambition to become a “regional hub for maritime manufacturing”, AD Ports said.
