Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding celebrates 30 years of leadership and launches a ship "Durra" For the benefit of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense

Abu Dhabi, February 3 / WAM / Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company celebrated its 30th anniversary, confirming its position as one of the regional leaders in the field of advanced shipbuilding.

On this occasion, an event was held at the company’s shipyard in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of high-level officials from the UAE Navy and the Kuwaiti Naval Forces, in addition to EDGE Group leaders, key partners and prominent figures from across the region.

This achievement reflects a journey full of successes, as Abu Dhabi Ship Building is currently executing the largest maritime export contracts in the region, delivering advanced ships designed and developed in the UAE, in addition to operating one of the most advanced shipyards in the Middle East.

The occasion witnessed the inauguration by Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding of the first ship of the “Durrah” class, 62 meters long, named “Al Nokhatha”, as part of a contract under which the EDGE Group assumed the responsibility of supplying the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense with advanced missile boats, in the largest maritime export operation the region has witnessed to date.

Khalid Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company, said that Abu Dhabi Ship Building’s journey reflects a national industrial success story by all standards. Since its founding only twenty-five years after the establishment of the state, the company has been able to establish a global presence and achieve remarkable growth, as it has witnessed in recent years an exceptional boom represented in record revenues, pivotal international contracts, and the launching of ships that were entirely designed and built within the UAE.

He added that this achievement embodies the result of a strategic vision and continuous support from the country’s leadership to build sustainable sovereign capabilities that serve future generations.

He explained that since its launch in 1995, Abu Dhabi Ship Building began its journey as a provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul services for the UAE Navy, before gradually expanding the scope of its work to include shipbuilding. He pointed out that with the delivery of the first landing ship in 2001, then the implementation of the prominent “Baynounah Frigate” program, and the signing of the first export contract with the “Royal Navy of Oman”, the company established its position as a marine manufacturer with the highest standards. Reliability and efficiency, as it today operates one of the most advanced shipyards in the region, spanning an area of 330,000 square metres, with a workforce of approximately 1,500 employees.

He said that the company implements complex marine programs for clients within the region and internationally, which reflects its advanced engineering and operational capabilities.

For his part, David Massey, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ship Building, said: When I joined the company six years ago, Abu Dhabi Ship Building was a company with a solid legacy and promising prospects, but the pace of development it witnessed exceeded all expectations. The company achieved the largest record of orders in its history, and its business opportunities expanded across several continents. Today, it is working on developing its own marine platforms through a specialized technology office, in a step that represents the beginning of a new phase in its journey. The company is now in a position to confidently build on an exceptional chapter in the history of Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding.

The company recently obtained a group of strategic contracts that are considered the largest and most complex in its history, including a contract to supply the Angolan Navy with a fleet of 71-meter frigates.

In conjunction with the introduction of the first “Falaj 3” ships into service in the UAE Navy, these combined achievements embody the company’s advanced capabilities and strengthen its position as a reliable partner for naval forces worldwide.

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