Authority to provide naval assistance to vessels through the use of AIS system designed to ensure maritime safety and safe navigation

30 July 2019 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) has revealed that it has started facilitating ship traffic for new waterfront projects in Dubai. The move falls in line with the continuing efforts to promote and develop the emirate's maritime industry based on global standards and in line with the set goals and objectives of the Maritime Sector Strategy. 

The authority has reportedly completed the process needed to officially provide naval assistance, including the power to grant approval for ships to set sail, drop anchor and move from port to port using maritime lights and the Automated Identification System (AIS)--new shipping technologies that represents a stronger push in the move towards ensuring safety, safe navigation and operational efficiency for maritime means within the territorial waters of Dubai. 

Mohammed Khalifa Al Huraiz, Director of Waterway Control, DMCA, shared that the regulation of ship traffic for new projects in Dubai represents an important addition to DMCA's continuing commitment towards implementing and adopting best practices to ensure safe navigation. He also pointed out the significance of maintaining key collaborations with strategic partners to implement best maritime practices that would strengthen Dubai's leadership on the global maritime map.

Al Huraiz said, “This new development demonstrates our commitment to establish and achieve a feeling of secure navigation through the use of the latest technologies, including advanced IT systems to avoid collisions and help getting the necessary information about location, direction, speed, world timing and the registration number in the International Maritime Organization (IMO)--which falls in line with the efforts to improve the performance, safety, efficiency and competitiveness of the local maritime cluster components, and to develop an integrated, secure and attractive maritime environment for regional and international investors.”

“We look forward to regulating the ship traffic in all ports—a move that falls in line with our ongoing efforts to improve the performance, safety, efficiency and competitiveness of the local marine community components. We are confident in being able to further regulate the movement of ships at all ports, which are one of the most important components of the local maritime sector, in order to serve the objectives of the Maritime Sector Strategy, which is aimed at developing, regulating and strengthening the maritime operations to reach a safe, renewable and sustainable maritime sector,” concluded Al Huraiz. 

DMCA is helping facilitate smoother ship traffic by using AILS, which is widely recognized as a critical aspect of maritime activities. The system is composed of an integrated network of GPS and VHF systems, complemented by an automation system designed to sync with outgoing and incoming data, connecting with the global network of the system in order to track ships and identifying them with each other, launching alarm calls in case of critical approach between two ships and knowing all about navigation details.