Press releases
K’AKI NAMED SEATRADE PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR FOR WEST AND CENTRAL ASIA
Saleh Bashir K’aki, President and CEO of UAE-based Vela International Marine Company is the Seatrade Personality of the Year for West and Central Asia.
He was named as the person whose company is at the forefront of advances in safety and environmental awareness, including the ongoing modernisation of the Vela fleet, with six VLCCs to start building at Daewoo next year, all to the standards in excess of minimum requirements.
“With one of the best safety records in the industry, Vela’s entire team, including R&D, continue to find new ways to be even more safe, reliable and efficient,” said K’aki in his acceptance speech. “This prestigious award actually belongs to all Vela employees.”
Vela was a major winner at the Seatrade Dubai International Maritime Awards (DIMAs) 2006 – the region’s leading awards scheme which recognises, rewards and promotes quality and excellence within the maritime industry.
Vela also won the Education and Training award for its Cadet and Apprentice programs which provide students with 100% scholarships plus monthly stipends to study with UK-based universities and maritime training facilities to enhance their skills as officers and ratings.
The company is also testing an experimental flow-through ballast water system aboard one of its VLCCs, designed to prevent the spread of waterborne invasive species, which was the subject of a recent video produced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
A gala audience of more than 800 celebrated along with the winners. Presenting the awards was Guest of Honour Mohammad Souri, Chairman and Managing Director, National Iranian Tanker Company.
Seven companies from the UAE, Singapore and Oman were selected from a shortlist of 22 for the third DIMAs which ran alongside Seatrade Middle East Maritime (SMEM), the region’s premier exhibition and conference for the maritime sectors which is running at the Dubai World Trade Centre until December 6.
In a keynote address at the awards, Mohammad Souri, Chairman and Managing Director National Iranian Tanker Company, winner of the first year’s Seatrade Personality award, said: “These awards are a reflection of the high standards being set and achieved by regional companies and will further spur the efforts of the maritime industry to raise its level of excellence each year.”
The awards were initiated to reward top achievers within the regional industry and encourage excellence in the Middle East’s shipping sector.
Four of the awards were judged by an independent panel chaired by Real Admiral Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization. Other judges were Captain Duncan McKelvie, Chairman of the Nautical Institute UAE Branch; Captain Jitendra Misra, Chairman, Chartered Institute of Shipbrokers and Tony Muncer, Chairman, Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology, UAE.
The judges choice for the Safety and Quality in Shipping award is Saudi Aramco for the fleet upgradation of search and rescue and firefighting vessels and related training facility. The Technical Innovation award saw three companies from UK, India and USA shortlisted. The winner is Martek Marine Ltd. UK for its MariNOx marine diesel emissions monitoring and recording system, the first and only system to be fully approved in line with IMO regulations to curb air emissions from ships. They edged out Safire India and World-Link Communications Inc, USA.
The Environmental Protection category also saw stiff competition from EHS and Vela, but was eventually won by Germany based Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems GmBH for its BilgeMaster, SludgeMaster and CombiMaster systems, designed to offer maximum protection to the ocean’s ecosystem.
A series of seven other awards were presented to companies for outstanding achievements in their given sector, namely Gulf Energy Maritime (GEM) (Energy Transportation), Port of Sohar, Oman (Port and Terminal Operations), Sharaf Shipping (Maritime Services), National Bank of Fujairah (Ship Finance), NICO International (Shipbuilding and Repair) and Emirates Trading Agency (Dry Bulk Shipping).The winner of the special Dubai Cruise Award, sponsored by the Government of Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing, is Costa Cruises which will homeport from the Dubai Cruise Terminal this month on seven-day cruises to Fujairah, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain throughout the winter.
Another special award for Exceptional Merit went to HCT / Abu Dhabi Men’s College jointly with Abu Dhabi Ship Building. Chris Hayman, Managing Director, Seatrade, said: “The Seatrade DIMAs are given as a result of an intensive judging process, fully in keeping with the IMO’s motto of ‘Safe and Secure Shipping on Clean Water’.
“The scheme champions high standards and quality in shipping.”
The awards are supported by Dubai Maritime City and DP World.
In keeping with the non-profit making motives of the scheme, a donation from the proceeds of the dinner will be made to The Mission to Seafarers.
SMEM 2006 is being held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and is the region’s leading maritime event, exhibiting more than 250 companies from 32 countries.