Abu Dhabi Ports acquires state-of-the-art Damen tug boats to boost Khalifa Port expansion

Abu Dhabi Marine Services “Safeen”, the marine services subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, announced the purchase of two new state-of-the-art tugboats from Damen Shipyards Group aimed at supporting the AED 10 billion] expansion of Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi Ports’ flagship deep-water port.

The purchase of the DAMEN ASD 2411 tugboats was announced at the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show 2018. The contract was signed by Captain Adil Ahmed Banihammad, Acting Chief Marine Services Officer at Safeen, and Pascal Slingerland, Regional Sales Director for Damen Shipyards Group. Delivery of both vessels is due within three months.

Captain Adil Ahmed Banihammad, Acting Chief Marine Services Officer at Abu Dhabi Marine Services – SAFEEN, said: “The extension of our fleet at Khalifa Port with two high-service tugboats is a remarkable milestone for Safeen to address customers’ needs professionally as well as for Khalifa Port, which will be the first port in the GCC able to receive the largest container and shipping vessels in the world. The average size of a vessel has grown by 65 percent due to economies of scale and we recognise the importance of equipping our ports with the right equipment and logistics to adapt to these changing demands.”

Captain Banihammad added: “Khalifa Port is a strategic gateway for trade and freight into Abu Dhabi and throughout the wider region. Our ongoing efforts to develop supportive infrastructure and further enhance overall customer experience here are aligned with international standards and aimed at setting a new benchmark in the region’s maritime industry.”

The two tugs will join the twelve harbour tugs already in service with Safeen, the fleet operating subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports responsible for pilotage, mooring, vessel handing and towage at Abu Dhabi Ports, and will bring a new level of capability. In particular, they will be supporting vessel movements at Khalifa Port’s two container terminals managed by ADT and COSCO Shipping Port Limited (CSPL) as well as EGA’s berth for Bauxite shipped to its smelter in Al Taweelah.

“We’re very pleased that Abu Dhabi Ports has opted for our proven ASD Tug 2411 to support the Abu Dhabi Ports container terminals,” says Damen’s Pascal Slingersland. “We are confident that they will be able to handle port operations for all kinds and sizes of vessels safely and effectively, including the world’s largest 400-meter container vessels with 20,000 TEUs capacity.”

Safeen (“ships”) is a fully owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, and is staffed by more than 200 certified personnel operating a modern fleet and offering a comprehensive and cost-effective range of marine and ancillary quayside services to all vessels that call at the Emirate’s seaports.