Asyad Group invests over RO 6 million to purchase floating dock in Duqm

Duqm:- The dry dock of the Asyad Group in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm is distinguished by its strategic location on the path of international shipping lines, and within a low-risk area according to the classification of international insurance companies, which means that insurance for ships coming to the dry dock in Duqm is less expensive compared to the docks.

Dr. Abdul Salam bin Omar Al-Rabani, Acting Chief Operating Officer at ASYAD Dry Dock, explained that the ASYAD Group invested more than 6 million Omani Riyals to purchase the floating dock, which went into operation in the first quarter of this year 2023, which will contribute to raising the capacity by 20 percent for services.

Maintenance and repair for various sizes and types of ships, noting that the location and area of ​​the current dry dock allows it to accommodate three floating docks in the future, which are characterized by lower construction costs and speed in construction and manufacturing compared to dry docks.

He said that ASYAD Dry Dock in Duqm has established leadership and competitiveness in its marine services and solutions in the Middle East and North Africa region, becoming a global provider of maintenance and repair services for giant ships, as the number of projects it has implemented since its launch in 2011 has exceeded more than 1,600 maintenance projects for more than 550 commercial clients. Locally and globally from about 70 countries.

He pointed out that the dock witnessed during the first nine months of 2023 an increase in the number of ship maintenance and repair projects, reaching approximately 158, compared to 128 projects during the same period in 2022, an increase of 20 percent.

He stressed that the Duqm Dry Dock is witnessing a major qualitative shift in its operational operations, as the number of ships it receives per day has increased from 6 to 27 ships. It also owns an industrial workshop with an area of ​​more than 400 thousand square meters equipped with all logistical capabilities and various technical equipment. This has made it a logistics center that meets the needs and requirements of its customers from the local and regional markets for many industrial projects, including shipbuilding of various sizes and uses that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

He stated that the dry dock berth is 2,800 meters long and its depth ranges from 9-10 metres, and has 14 jib cranes, two shipyards and a world dock that enable it to receive ships with a deadweight capacity of up to 600 thousand tons.

ASYAD works in full partnership with various government agencies and the private sector to advance the shipbuilding industry in The Sultanate of Oman provides and meets all the needs of the local markets for ships and boats of various uses, whether for shipping operations, navigational services, or fishing and hiking boats, in addition to providing maintenance services.

He explained that ASYAD Drydock achieved a competitive number in the average ship repair and maintenance period of 14 days compared to an average of 18 days in other regional docks.

He pointed out that ASYAD Drydock added to its business portfolio the shipbuilding service, as it was able to provide its services to the regional market by building… Ships with standard specifications for various uses, such as shipping and navigational services, to meet the growing needs of its customers.

He said that the capabilities of ASYAD Dry Dock and the reliability of its services allow it to attract the largest operators and leading companies in the sector, especially since the competitive advantages that the dry dock enjoys, which include the strategic location, prices, services, time, quality of work, and adopting the highest standards of environment, health and occupational safety, are unique.

It is of its kind and compatible with customers’ requirements and needs, in addition to marketing the dry dock’s high capabilities in installing large devices such as ship exhaust gas purification devices and ballast water treatment devices, and the distinguished technical skills in carrying out repair work for the hulls of ships that are exposed to marine accidents.

He added that the dry dock recently applied the “nano epoxy” silicone coating technology in ship maintenance operations for the first time regionally and the second globally, in line with the ASYAD Group’s sustainability strategy, and its commitment to adapting the latest innovative, environmentally friendly technologies, by adopting a unique coating at the regional level that provides many Among the economic and environmentally friendly advantages, he indicated that the Omanization rate in the company’s senior and middle management reached 80 percent.