The Maritime Cluster is the driving force behind AD Ports Group’s marine operations. It incorporates SAFEEN Group, the largest diversified provider of maritime services in the region, and Abu Dhabi Maritime, the primary custodian of Abu Dhabi’s waterways and marine ecosystems. SAFEEN Group has experienced rapid growth during the past two years driven by new acquisitions, joint ventures, and market entries, expanding its network, services and products to provide a synergistic portfolio of assets covering the areas of Shipping & Transshipment, Marine Services, and Offshore and Subsea. Abu Dhabi Maritime governs and regulates Abu Dhabi’s maritime sector by providing world-leading maritime infrastructure, while ensuring the emirate implements the highest standards of health, safety, environment, and quality.
On a daily basis the Maritime Cluster adheres to HSE international best practice and implements these standards across all activities and operations and ensuring compliance with AD Ports Group’s Integrated Management System (IMS) policy and related standards. The IMS includes specific health and safety policies, risk assessment processes, performance monitoring and targets, inspection and compliance audits, permitting, incident management, employee/contractor/supplier engagement activities, education, training and awareness. IMS ensures full compliance with the following standards:
- ISO 9001: 2015 Quality Management
- ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management
- ISO 45001:2018 OH & Safety Management
- ISO 31000:2019 Risk Management
- ISO 27001: 2013 Information Security Management
- ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management
- ISM “International Safety Management” – IMO Standard
- ISPS “International Ship & Ports Security” – IMO Standard
Additionally, the Maritime Cluster and AD Ports Group enhanced and fully automated the Permit to Work (PTW) and Incident Management system, in order to increase safety, improve HSE performance, and support business units to improve their response to emergencies and minimize the impact of unforeseen events. Significant investments of more than AED 100 million have also been made in the SAFEEN Marine Services fleet and equipment, including marine debris boats, oil spill equipment and training and enhancement of emergency capabilities and emergency response across a number of areas (firefighting, oil spill response, search and rescue, emergency towage, and recovery capabilities)
Overall, aligned with AD Ports Group’s ESG strategy, the Maritime Cluster is committed to working as sustainably as possible, constantly seeking innovative ways to lessen the industry’s impact on the marine environment. In 2022 the Maritime Cluster initiated two cleaner fuel pilot projects, that include electrically powered vessels and dual-fuel technologies that leverage hydrogen and biofuels for hybrid vessels in an effort to contribute to the Group’s decarbonization goals and meet UAE Net Zero 2050. AD Ports Group is continually striving to advance its ESG principles and strategy which the Maritime Cluster adopts wholeheartedly within its approach and methodologies.