RINA and Dubai Drydocks team up

The RINA Group has entered into a framework agreement to supply certification and engineering services to UAE-based Drydocks World - Dubai (LLC). Under an MOU signed in Rome, Italy, on 9 May, Drydocks World will draw on RINA Group's expertise to deliver assistance with project management and ship classification and certification for a number of projects, including floating hotels, mega yachts, special project vessels, underwater units and warships. The MoU was signed in the presence of H.E. Ms. Datin Paduka Halimah Abdullah, Malaysian Ambassador to Rome, Mr Muhammad Al Mansoori, Second Secretary of UAE Embassy in Rome, Mr. Hamad Al Nuaimi, Diplomatic Attaché, Embassy UAE in Rome, Ms. Penprapa, Minister Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Thailand, and other dignitaries.

H.E.Abdul Aziz Bin Nasser Alshamsi, UAE Ambassador in Rome said, “We are so pleased on this important occasion to emphasis the tremendous progression in the bilateral relationship between the UAE and Italy during recent years in all economic and political areas. Bilateral trade has grown by 26 per cent compared to 2011, which makes the UAE Italy’s first and largest trading partner among all the Arabic countries, and the most important strategic partner in the Middle East.

“The ongoing co-operation between Drydocks World and RINA Group for international classification, certification and engineering services enhances the role of the UAE and the Dubai Emirate’s push to be the leader for vessel classification in the Arabic, Middle and Far Eastern regions. RINA Group is recognised as an authoritative member of key international organisations such as the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards. Drydocks World has selected RINA Group to develop vital classification services in the region.

“Enhancing the partnership between Emirates Classification-Tasneef, a classification society specialising in the maritime sector, and the RINA Group will help further develop its ability to provide a world-class service for shipbuilding, conversion and refit, as well as ongoing military programmes. It will also enhance its capability to deliver highly sophisticated services for passenger vessels, yachts, warships, and floating offshore oil & gas units. Emirates Classification-Tasneef is also furthering its technical capability in the area of complex underwater structures that require continuous survey during construction to ensure conformation to class and statutory requirements, as it continues to develop a world-class centre for ship classification in the Middle and Far Eastern region.”

H.E. Khamis Juma Buamim, Chairman of Drydocks World and Maritime World, said, “We believe in working with good partners like RINA Group to deliver excellence in ship repair, ship conversion and ship building. This agreement with RINA Group will open the way for us to enhance our services for the most complex projects.

“The MoU will provide the desired momentum in terms of sophisticated vessel repair, conversion and construction in the military sector. It will also complement our project management and technical capabilities in the high-potential yacht repair and maintenance segment as well as complex underwater structures that require continuous survey during construction to ensure conformation to class and statutory issues”.

Signing the MoU in Rome, RINA Group CEO Ugo Salerno said, “There is a wide range of skills and services available across the RINA Group. RINA Services has particular expertise with complex passenger vessel newbuildings, mega yachts and warships, and D'Appolonia has long-standing experience in combat systems and electronics. Working together with Drydocks World we can help maintain and develop a world-class centre for shipbuilding, conversion and refit, especially for the most complex projects such as floating units for offshore oil & gas, cutting-edge yachts and warships.”

For a photo of Ugo Salerno signing the agreement, go to: https://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/RINA or email chris@merlinco.com

Drydocks World has established itself as a leading and fast-growing international player in offshore and engineering, ship repair and maintenance, shipbuilding and conversion, rig building and refurbishment, FPSO/FSO conversion, offshore fabrication, maritime clusters and yacht and fleet operations. The flagship yard, Drydocks World-Dubai, is the largest and most modern facility between Europe and the Far East, and is supplemented by four other facilities in Singapore and on Batam Island, Indonesia under DDW-PaxOcean.

RINA Group operates through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Real Estate, Transport & Logistics, Environment & Sustainability, Innovation and Business Governance fields. Through its companies in their specific contexts, the RINA Group is able to follow the entire life-cycle of a plant, installation, infrastructure, ship or other kind of unit across a wide range of services, certification, assessment environmental, enhancement, product testing, site and vendor supervision. RINA Group revenues amount around 280 million Euros in 2012, with over 2,100 employees, and 150 offices in 53 countries worldwide. www.rina.org     

Contact:

Claudia Filippone

Head of Media Relations RINA Group

Ph. +39 010 5385643

claudia.filippone@rina.org

Susanna Gorni

Media Relations RINA Group

Ph. +39 010 5385555

susanna.gorni@rina.org

Contact:

Drydocks World

Sumaya Tahlak

Corporate Communications Manager

ccom@drydocks.gov.ae

Tel: +971 4 3450626

RINA Group supports new UAE class society

International classification society RINA Group has been chosen as the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) partner to support the development of Tasneef, a new classification society for the United Arab Emirates. Emirates Classification – Tasneef has been established in Abu Dhabi and plans to expand with future worldwide offices. Working in partnership with RINA, the goal is to develop Tasneef as an international classification society capable of meeting the technical and classification needs of the region's maritime industry, the UAE flag and international commercial shipping.

Andrea di Bella, Area Manager Middle East, RINA Group, says, “We are very excited to have been chosen to assist the development of Tasneef after a tender process that included all the major classification societies. We will work closely with Tasneef on a number of newbuilding projects and ships in service to develop their procedures and technical competence. We expect this to be the beginning of a long partnership as the UAE further expands its maritime interests.”

Mr. Rashed Alhebsi, Head of the Establishment Committee of Tasneef, says, “We selected RINA to help us develop Tasneef because of its proven competence and the good collaboration we experienced with them during our UAE Naval shipbuilding (corvette class) programme. We at Tasneef have carefully and systematically reviewed potential partners and we took our time to decide. This new partnership is built on a successful relationship. The way Tasneef looks at RINA is as a long-term strategic partner where both companies will fulfil the demand for classification services in potential sectors in this region known for fuelling the world with energy, oil and gas. Tasneef and RINA Group will also support this region, which is becoming a world hub for the maritime industry where more than 60 per cent of the world’s shipping either operate or pass, especially after establishing Khalifa Port which increases the shipping capacity of this region. Tasneef and RINA are currently finalizing together a portfolio of up to 44 classification projects in 2013 varying from new construction and ships in service to supporting the UAE Flag administration with thousands of statutory certifications.”

RINA is a multi-national group which delivers verification, certification, conformity assessment, ship classification, environmental enhancement, product testing, site and vendor supervision, training and engineering consultancy across a wide range of industries and services. RINA Group operates through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Real Estate, Transport & Logistics, Food & Agriculture, Environment & Sustainability, Finance & Public Institutions and Business Governance. With a turnover of around 300 million Euros in 2012, over 2,100 employees, and 140 offices in 49 countries worldwide, RINA is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards. www.rina.org

For more information:

Giulia Faravelli

Media Relations Manager RINA Group

Ph. +39 010 5385505

Email giulia.faravelli@rina.org

Susanna Gorni

Media Relations

Ph. +39 010 5385555

Email susanna.gorni@rina.org