ETA Ascon Star Group has taken delivery of Star of Emirates, the first of a series of three 83,000-tonne Kamsarmax-type vessels the company has acquired.
“The second vessel will join the fleet in October 2008, with a third joining in January 2009. Built in Japan, all three vessels follow the highest Japanese/European safety standards combined with energy efficiency,” a company statement said.
Ahmad Abdullah Al Ghurair, director, said the shipping division was the flagship division of the ETA Ascon Star Group and had demonstrated its ability to maintain regional leadership in shipping.
“We are keen on expanding and upgrading our fleet to meet increasing regional and global demands. The acquisition of the three vessels also consolidates our position as the largest private ship operator in the Middle East market controlling over 70 vessels of various sizes in both dry and wet sectors.”
Ameer Faisal, executive director of the division, said it was committed to safe ship operations applying international safety standards and also to operating a crew training facility in Mumbai in India with strict adherence to quality and safety.
Star of Emirates has received accreditations from the International Maritime Organisation and the American Bureau of Shipping Standards (ABS).  On its first sail, the new vessel visited Australia, sailing from Japan to load a cargo of coal.
Kamsarmax vessels are the largest ships that can load at the world’s largest bauxite port, Port Kamsar, in Equatorial Guinea. The Kamsarmax-type bulk carrier is basically an 82,000 dwt Panamax. Star of Emirates has a maximum capacity of 83,000 dwt.
The shipping division has offices in London, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Due to unprecedented growth witnessed by the shipping industry in the Far East, it is currently focusing on emerging economies in the region to further expand its operations, the statement said.
The company’s clients include major players in the cement, construction, power utilities, steel, fertiliser and chemical industries as well as flour mills in the Middle East, North/South America, Europe, the Indian Subcontinent and Australia.
ETA Ascon Star Group is a multinational and diversified group established in 1973 as a joint venture under the UAE’s Abdulla Al Ghurair Group. Headquartered in Dubai, the group’s network encompasses 140 entities and associate offices in 22 countries and employs more than 68,000 people with consolidated sales in excess of $5 billion.
Areas of expertise under the ETA Ascon Star Group umbrella include contracting and engineering, trading, shipping, manufacturing and assembly, leisure, healthcare, aviation, learning and education, insurance, hospitality, oil and natural gas.