Asry, the ship and rig repair yard, has again expanded its portfolio of onsite specialist contractors with the signing of a services agreement with Al Mufaddal Engineering & Marine Services, specialists in the repair and maintenance of boilers, heat exchangers, condensers and coolers.

The agreement will see Al Mufaddal construct a custom-built state-of-the-art workshop, offices, and storage facility in Bahrain, spread over a plot of 2,100 sq m within the premises of Asry. The signing is the latest development in Project Jupiter, an initiative to build the leading cluster of maritime onsite specialist contractors in the region
at Asry.

Nils Kristian Berge, Asry chief executive, said: “Al Mufaddal is another strong partner to include in our drive to build the most comprehensive selection of contractors for our customers to have access to. Their professionalism and expertise complements Asry’s prestigious reputation in the region. Project Jupiter has gained very encouraging momentum with our customers and in the regional maritime market, due to service agreements like this with reputed names in the
marine market.”

Berge, was joined by Magdy Moustafa, Asry’s procurement and contracts general manager, Huzaifa Shabbir, managing director, Al Mufaddel Group, and Narendra Singh, director, business development.

Shabbir remarked that Asry has had strong ties with Al Mufaddal Group since 2000, and with this major achievement he is confident that the new set up in Asry coupled with the signing of the agreement will further boost the relationship and business between the two companies.

An overview of Asry’s facilities

Moustafa said “it is a good sign that we are moving on the right track which will ensure the presence of more and more specialised service providers in the yard on a long-term basis, which will continue to enhance Asry’s image in the ship repair and offshore repair markets”.

The new workshop, once completed, will provide a dedicated service point for Al Mufaddal’s repair and maintenance services to all Asry customers. Al Mufaddal will also be able to offer round-the-clock supply of products from a stock holding of critical items essential for marine and offshore industries as well as a special manufacturing unit for the supply of metallic gaskets, expansion bellows, high-pressure vessels and other steel and piping fabrication.

Meanwhile, Asry’s chairman, Sheikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa, visited the first ship undergoing repairs under a $33 million agreement signed between the shipyard and Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) to repair 19 vessels.

“This agreement not only makes history in the regional maritime industry, but is also also a strong demonstration of GCC cooperation,” Sheikh Daij said. “Leaders like KOTC and Asry working together is an example of premier regional businesses finding common ground for mutual growth. Positive effects of deals of this nature will be experienced by our customers, our employees and our respective countries.”

Berge, who was present during the meeting with other senior management, said: “All Asry employees are, and should be, very proud of this memorable achievement. It is a sign that Asry is the leading ship repair facility in the Gulf, and hat the work we are doing has the highest level of quality and strongest reputation in the region. The agreement is one of the largest in the Gulf’s history, and was won with strong competition.

The visit by the chairman and senior management included a tour of the bridge of the first vessel being repaired under the two-and-a-half-year agreement Al Jabriyah II, and a gift presentation ceremony to the captain and crew of the ship.

Asry’s facilities include a 500,000 dwt drydock. Two floating docks of 252 m and 227 m length, 15 repair berths with a total length of approximately 4,000 s m, twin 255 m slipways as well as a full range of workshops and service centres, jack-up rigs and other offshore assets due to a dedicated division, Asry Offshore Services.