The UAE has developed steadily over the years to be ranked as one of the world›s top maritime hubs. State-of-the-art ports around the country have significantly contributed to the progress of the maritime industry, and continue to support the industry’s expansion. Over 61 per cent of the cargo traded to and from GCC nations is handled by the UAE’s ports. This not only demonstrates the vital role that the nation›s ports play in promoting trade in the region, but it also exemplifies the UAE›s enormous capacity for processing goods through its ports. Additionally, the UAE is home to two of the top 50 container ports in the world, with Dubai ranking among the top 10.

While the capabilities of these ports continue to improve through the adoption of modern solutions which are rapidly evolving, classification societies play a massive role in ensuring that the efficiency and safety of these ports is well maintained. TASNEEF Maritime, the first and so far, the only Arab classification society has actively contributed to the success of the UAE’s maritime sector. Recently, TASNEEF Maritime provided its services to Abu Dhabi Ports by inspecting their berthing facilities.

Waleed Al Tamimi, General Manager, TASNEEF Maritime, emphasised on the latest solutions adopted by the organisation in order to enhance the efficiency of their operations.

What kind of classification services did you provide to Abu Dhabi Ports?

We have several strategic partners here in the UAE such as the Abu Dhabi Ports Company. They are one of our key supporters and have always trusted us to certify all their fleet. In addition to certifying the fleet they have and providing different classification services, we had the chance, to inspect and certify one of their most important assets, Mina Zayed. The port is one of the most important trade gateways in the UAE and has served as an important logistics hub for the region. However, it was built in the early seventies, and needed a detailed and efficient inspection to confirm that the asset is still fit to be relied upon for the Emirate’s logistics activities.

What is the process you followed to ensure a thorough inspection?

We have used the latest technologies to ensure that we carefully inspect every millimeter of this asset, underwater and above water using high-resolution cameras, and advanced sonars in order to detect any defects and be able to certify the facility. Using these technologies, we were able to identify many areas that need to be rectified, and were hidden since many years. However, the asset is in good condition, and will continue serving as a valuable asset in the remarkable progress of the maritime industry in the UAE and Abu Dhabi.

Would you like to provide details on the latest technologies used for the certification process of the asset?

We at TASNEEF have always been at the forefront of adopting modern solutions. For this certification in particular, we made use of the latest technologies such as Artificial Intelligence in order to detect any defects in the port’s gravity blocks area, where there could be some misplacement, cracks, or misalignments.

These problems could have existed right from the beginning of the construction of the facility, or could have occurred after many years of usage of the facility. Using AI and high-resolution cameras, we were able to detect these misalignments and cracks. Such operations were initially carried out with the help of divers. But now, we were able to make use of advanced solutions, use our own algorithms, and train the software to detect similar problems. These technologies are very helpful especially when the inspection area is spread across over a thousand square meters, making it difficult for a human to inspect every millimeter of this huge infrastructure.