Heightened manufacturing activities in the Gulf and the potential for greater shipping and warehousing business are prompting companies to consider greater investment in the marine offshore sector.

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) has invested $2 million in building two service vessels and work on them commenced in June. The newbuilds will be manned by a full-time crew of four and have a 30-tonne deck capacity. The vessels will be ready in the first quarter of next year.

The decision by ISS to acquire the vessels follows a noticeable increase in demand for fast, efficient offshore services as business has started to return to normal levels following the events of September 11. Inchcape says the new vessels will put it in a better position to provide one-stop-shop services to its customers ISS, which opened a transit facility in Fujairah last year, plans to order more vessels in October and February. The facility provides support and supply services for vessels using the Fujairah anchorage, ensuring that the flow of goods to ships and of crews to ship is speeded up. ISS' new vessels will operate mainly out of Fujairah Port, which is one of the leading bunkering ports in the world.