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Increasing the number of UAE Nationals in the workforce is a core pillar of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and a central business strategy for Abu Dhabi Ports.
As a government-owned entity and a leading provider of marine services in the UAE, Abu Dhabi Ports has always played a vital role in the emirate’s emiratisation exercise which has now reached the next level of success.
For the first time ever in the UAE’s history of sea port operations, Abu Dhabi Ports has a dedicated team of UAE Nationals that can carry out the entire circle of port operations, including the full range of marine services, as well as the process of loading and unloading cargo vessels.
“This marks a major breakthrough and confirms our role in supporting young Emirati talent while putting the directives of our leadership into action. Our role is driven by a sense of patriotism that supports our commitment to training and development, making sure that, as the maritime industry grows, the Emirates' development into a major international maritime hub is motivated by talented, skilled UAE Nationals in meaningful maritime careers,” says HE Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Ports.
“We are very proud of our first entire Emirati port operations team and to be part of such a historic moment. The success of our emiratisation strategy is directly linked to the range of different training programmes that we offer. These range from specialised operational training or developing back office administration skills, to identifying potential future leaders and giving them the training and support to realise their career potential”, says Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Ports.
The maritime sector is vitally important to the emirate which relies heavily on imports, and it will become more so as trade and economic diversification increases in support of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vison 2030.
To support this growth, Abu Dhabi Ports has launched a major drive to recruit UAE Nationals to operational roles in the ports. The campaign called Port’s Pulse, has focused on raising awareness of the importance of the maritime economy and the vital strategic role played by the ports. The campaign has urged Emiratis to fill roles across the business, in the spirit of national patriotism.
Abu Dhabi Ports’ comprehensive port operations training programmes cover all of the different tasks involved in a ship’s arrival in the port to load or unload it and escort it safely back to the open sea. What seems so easy and straight forward, is actually a complex series of interrelated jobs that require special know-how, precisely coordinated actions and teamwork.
What do ‘port operations’ involve?
From the moment that the captain of an approaching container ship sends out a berthing request to Khalifa Port’s control tower (usually several hours ahead), the arrival and departure of the visiting vessel is carefully planned.
Vessel Traffic Services (VTS)
A crucial point of contact in the planning and operations stage is the operator of the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) – a system that helps with identifying, following and organising the vessels at sea.
The VTS collects traffic and ship data, for example the intention of a ship’s visit, through radar, closed-circuit television (CCTV), Very High Frequency (VHF) radiotelephony and the Automatic Identification System (AIS).
The collected data is compiled at the VTS operator’s work station located inside the port’s control tower, from where the operator uses it to respond to the traffic situation at sea.
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