ASRY, the leading ship and rig repair yard in the Arabian Gulf, recently signed a key deal to boost its business – a ship repair block agreement with Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), which will add to its revenues and raise its profile in the region’s ship repair industry.  

The agreement, which Asry said was the largest of its kind signed by a shipyard in the Arabian Gulf, is worth $33 million and includes exclusive maintenance rights to 19 vessels over the next two and a half years.

Asry’s chairman, Sheikh Duaij bin Salman Al Khalifa, called the agreement “a landmark deal for the region for multiple reasons.”

“It will allow the yard to work with KOTC as partners to prepare, plan, and collaborate in advance of each docking to maximise its efficiency and success. Not only is KOTC getting excellent value through advance commitment, but by removing the time-consuming individual tendering process for each ship, we can provide priority dock space, superior scope planning, and leading turnaround times,” he explained.

In other shipyard news, US boat builder Kvichak Marine Industries, a specialist in the design and construction of high-quality, hardworking aluminium vessels, has won a contract to manufacture and supply a pair of all-weather pilot boats for Port of Duqm Company.

The deal underscores efforts by the port management to ramp-up its capabilities ahead of an anticipated upsurge in commercial traffic and cargo volumes linked to the implementation of a number of mega projects at the adjoining Special Economic Zone (SEZ), press reports said.

The 19-metre-long all-aluminium boats will be manufactured at Kvichak Marine’s Seattle-Washington facilities based on designs provided by the UK’s Camarc Design, one of Europe’s leading small craft design firms specialising in the design of seaworthy high-speed craft.

According to Kvichak Marine, the pilot boats will be capable of operating in all kinds of weather, including high winds and choppy seas, conditions characteristic of Oman’s khareef season. Designed to operate at top speeds of around 20 knots, the boats can also be deployed for search and rescue and oil-spill clearance operations.

Established in 1981, Kvichak Marine is one of the premier aluminium boat builders of the US specialising in the manufacture of all kinds of aluminium workboats, notably for law enforcement, fire-fighting, passenger ferry services, piloting and general commercial use.

The delivery of the two boats is scheduled sometime during the spring of 2016 coinciding with a projected uptrend in visits by ships laden with construction material, project cargo, and other merchandise destined for industries scheduled for implementation at the Duqm SEZ.

And in the UAE, Drydocks World reported it has nine rigs at its Dubai shipyard.

Khamis Juma Buamim, chairman of Drydocks World and Maritime World, said: “Our continued improvements on the advanced state-of-the-art facilities provides one-stop solutions to the projects. We ensure the integrity and safety of all personnel and projects, providing operational efficiency while mitigating all risks.”

Ship repair and rig repair revenue increased by 9 per cent compared to 2013 and exceeded the targeted annual profit projected for 2014. Moving forward into 2015, the record number of nine rigs is an excellent start, Dubai Drydocks said.