His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, attended yesterday the first UAE flag-raising ceremony on a merchant ship.
The ceremony was held on the occasion of the first commercial ship classification in the UAE by TASNEEF (Emirates Authority for Classification) and granting the certificate rating marked ‘UAE’ for a merchant ship for the first time.
The classification by TASNEEF will see the oil tanker “Energena’ managed by Gulf Stolt Ship Management and currently undergoing maintenance at Drydocks World become the first commercial vessel to sail under the UAE flag.
TASNEEF was established in 2012 as the First Classification Society in United Arab Emirates, the GCC region and Arab world. Drydocks World and TASNEEF signed a MoU for a landmark partnership in August 2013.
Under the MoU, TASNEEF will have access to Classification and other statutory activities on repair, new build and conversion projects at the yard. The services provided by the Society will include technical activities including surveys, inspection & testing of material, machinery, components and equipments onboard vessels.
TASNEEF has now started providing classification services to merchant vessels that use the country’s maritime facilities. This service will allow ship owners to obtain national vessel classification which will allow vessels to sail under the UAE flag and to increase the registered tonnage of the country.
[mappress] TASNEEF, December 2, 2013