Shipmanager Columbia Group has snared more Middle Eastern business in the form of an advisory deal for Abu Dhabi’s industrial and maritime ‘mega-base’.
The company is teaming up with Fameline Holding Group for a contract with oil and gas supplier Al Masaood Energy.
Al Masaood, which operates throughout the UAE the Middle East, North Africa, the eastern Mediterranean and South Asia, is developing a new complex in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD).
This 300,000-square-metre site will house warehouses, manufacturing facilities and a jetty berthing facility to serve the offshore logistics requirements of clients.
Columbia and Fameline will support Al Masaood by providing engineering, procurement and logistics expertise, particularly in the construction, maintenance, and operation of the berthing facility.
Fameline operates ship supply worldwide and will set up shop in the base.
It is an existing partner of Al Masaood in several joint venture companies.
Further collaboration between the three partners is planned, including on recruitment and management of a workforce.
Mark O’Neil, chief executive of Columbia, said: “We look forward to working with Fameline and Al Masaood on the exciting journey of building the state-of-the-art integrated industrial complex in the very heart of the UAE ambitions."
“Our advanced engineering expertise, digitalisation and software engineering, as well as maritime knowledge and network, will certainly help to achieve Al Masaood’s goals for the benefit of the region and globally,” he added.
Saudi Arabian expansion
Ahmad El Tannir, general manager of Al Masaood Energy, said the partnership allows a diversification on a strategic level, but also enables strong synergies.
In February, Columbia sealed an agreement to help expand the Middle East’s biggest shipyard.
The Cyprus-based company signed a memorandum of understanding with International Maritime Industries (IMI), a joint venture between oil giant Saudi Aramco, Lamprell, VLCC owner Bahri and Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The deal was an expansion of a partnership agreed six months before that to explore opportunities in the maritime sector.
The group is seeking to boost Saudi Arabia’s capabilities in shipbuilding, ship repair and engineering.
In 2021, Columbia launched an offshore vessel management venture in Saudi Arabia that quickly grew from 35 ships to more than 100.
