UAE-based  Albwardy Marine Engineering  has  been awarded a Dh25 million ($6.8 million) contract  by Nakilat-SvitzerWijsmuller (the joint venture company set-up by SvitzerWijsmuller and Qatar Gas Transport Company - Nakilat) to build five tug boats.

A keel-laying ceremony for building the five boats was held at the Dubai Ship Dockyard in Al Jaddaf.
Commenting on the award, Robert Banks,   managing director of Albwardy Marine Engineering, said the contract was won in the face of strong international competition and was a reflection of the quality of services provided by Albwardy. It also demonstrated the capability of companies in the UAE to provide a high level of expertise and skills that are on a par with international standards. “The deal with Svitzer Wijsmuller certainly represents a milestone for Albwardy Marine Engineering. We are excited at the prospect of embarking on a partnership that will further enhance our image internationally”.
Established in 1978, Albwardy Marine Engineering, which is part of the Albwardy Group, has been providing total solutions for professional ship repair, marine engineering, diving, hydraulic and electrical services to all major regional and international shipping companies.
Headquartered in Dubai and having fully equipped shipyards and satellite workshops in Fujairah (UAE) and Salalah (Oman), Albwardy Marine is owned by UAE national Ali Saeed Juma Albwardy.
In 1997, Albwardy Marine became involved in ship construction and conversion. Originally dependent on outside consultants for design and naval architecture work, it expanded to include an in-house design office with six highly qualified naval architects in 2003. Albwardy currently employs a workforce of over 800 employees.
The group has experienced huge success since the second half of 2006. Last February, Prince Charles commissioned the MV Flying Angel, a twin-screw steel support boat built for the Mission to Seafarers organisation. Other major projects undertaken by Albwardy Marine include a multi-purpose anchor handling vessel for Team Shipping which is nearing completion, two jet fuel barges for Tristar Energy that are currently being assembled on the banks of the river Nile in Sudan and the Sierra 3, a self-propelled special service/maintenance vessel for Safe Sea Trading FZCO that was delivered in 2006.
 Nakilat, established in 2004, is a joint stock company owned 50 per cent by its founding shareholders and 50 per cent by the public as a result of an IPO in 2005. It is building a large fleet of vessels to transport LNG produced from Qatar’s North Field. By 2010, Nakilat expects to own up to 56 LNG vessels, making it one of the largest LNG ship owners in the world.
Established in 1833, Svitzer Wijsmuller has developed a number of specialist and inter-related services within harbour, terminal, and ocean towage. It is also involved in salvage and emergency response and transportation of crew and supplies to offshore installations. Svitzer Wijsmuller, which has its headquarters in Copenhagen, operates a diverse fleet of more than 300 vessels in more than 35 countries including the Middle East.
A keel-laying ceremony for building the five boats was held at the Dubai Ship Dockyard in Al Jaddaf. Present were Bo Vestbirk Laub, Svitzer’s managing director for the Middle East  and  India, Capt Yaseen Ali Al Binali, operations  and local business development director and board member of Nakilat,  and Capt Henk Venema, general manager of Nakilat-SvitzerWijsmuller,