The Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Authority for Land and Marine Transport, Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Balheif Al Nuaimi, announced that this year the inauguration of a new maritime academy in Sharjah will be held in cooperation with the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. And maritime transport technology, stressing that the UAE is now ranked in advanced levels in all areas and indicators of the maritime industry in the world.
This came during a regular briefing organized by the Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport yesterday in Abu Dhabi to announce the achievements made during the last year, during which the Minister announced the re-candidacy of the IMO Council for Category B, after the State received last year Ranked 14th globally in total marine indicators, classifications and major performance levels in the global shipping industry.
Al-Naimi explained that in 2018, the Authority has made the country a regional center to provide assistance in building marine capacities, enhancing the work of maritime administrations on the human side, training specialists and increasing the number of maritime experts in the Mediterranean region and the Arabian Gulf. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Technical Cooperation Program (TCP) of the Organization, the completion of the procedures for the establishment of the Permanent Mission of the State, support for the work of the Permanent Representative of the State of the International Maritime Organization and accession to a number of important international maritime conventions and protocols.
"The number of UAE ports approved in the WHO regulations has been increased from 8 in 2016 to 12 in 2017, in addition to increasing the number of ports equipped with environmentally safe harbor systems, and providing reception facilities for all types of ship and wastewater waste from 10 facilities in 2017, to 18 facilities in 2018, distributed to all ports of the State, and adopted by the International Maritime Organization ».
Al Naimi added: "At the national level, the Authority has worked to develop the maritime transport industry in the country by completing the development of maritime law modernization draft to meet the requirements of marine development, the issuance of several regulatory decisions for the maritime transport sector, To participate in all maritime accident investigations in the ports of the State, in cooperation with international expert houses, to prepare the reports of the Maritime Organization and to develop and implement a comprehensive plan In order to achieve security and protection of the marine environment, which included all major maritime ports in the country, in addition to coordination with local authorities and ports to reduce the phenomenon of abandonment of ships and protect navigators ».
He pointed out that the annual meetings of the Federal Government, held in November last year, resulted in two important indicators for the maritime transport sector, the first of which was the establishment of the National Maritime Center, where it was agreed with Abu Dhabi Ports to be the founder and responsible for the preparation of this center under the umbrella of the Authority, Assigning a team responsible for the issue, and coordination with all ports to contribute to the preparation of the center, but the launch will be the end of this year.
He pointed out that the second indicator is related to the preparation of a national strategy for maritime transport, which includes work with all the federal agencies in the country that are influential and affected by the maritime sector, so that they have indicators specific to the maritime sector in their strategic plans to stimulate the growth of the sector. , And more attention to marine education and industry, making the maritime sector move as an integrated economic sector, not limited to the role of the Commission only in the field of legislation. "There is also the Abu Dhabi Marine Academy, which is currently offering training courses and was created in cooperation between Australia and Abu Dhabi Ports, as well as the Higher Colleges of Technology, which introduce maritime transport and include a number of students."
Al Nuaimi stressed that the continued existence of the UAE as an active member of the IMO Council over the past two years has opened the way for all forms of national investment to spread and expand globally.
A deserted line
On the sidelines of the briefing, the Minister of Infrastructure Development, Chairman of the Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport, Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Balheif Al Nuaimi stressed that the UAE views the problem of abandoned ships and the flight of sailors from a humanitarian point of view. Knowing that the state will help them. "We have a number of attempts and meetings with the ambassadors and consuls of these countries, and a lot has been done in this file," he said. "We do not have the flags of other countries and we do not carry the flag of the UAE until we take care of its navigation and affairs.
The State is a regional center for assistance in building marine capacity and enhancing the work of maritime administrations.