Dubai Maritime City (DMC)

The 25 million square feet man made peninsula, situated between Port Rashid and Dubai Dry Dock will be the first Maritime Development of its kind, providing every element of infrastructure for key marine related industries in the world.

"Dubai Maritime City is a visible manifestation of H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision of creating a global maritime hub in Dubai," said Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, executive chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation on the occasion of this historic announcement.

The city will feature an integrated and modern set of facilities to serve maritime institutions including offices, warehouses, showrooms, exhibition halls, dry docks, museum, marine academy with an oceanographic research center etc.

Dubai Maritime City has the potential to host an array of Marine Service Companies ranging from ship classification, safety standard verification, onshore and offshore ship catering and supply services and ship repair and maintenance services. Nearly 5000 major regional maritime companies are operating in Dubai at present.

Marine Management Services companies in Dubai Maritime City will range from cargo vessels & life insurance agencies to legal businesses specializing in consultation, legal advice and marine domain lawyers, ship registration and global inspection houses, safety and damage assessment firms and various other similar entities are all but a fraction of the enormous marine management market.

Marine Product Marketing sector includes marine exhibitions, trade shows and media information groups, international trade seminars, ship shows and more.

Under the Marine Research & Education sector Dubai Maritime City will host a Marine Academy, which will offer well-rounded learning on every aspect of maritime education.

Marine engineering, marine transportation, naval science, maritime operations and technology, logistics and inter-modal transportation and pilot and navigation simulations are all a part of an intricate syllabus framed keeping in mind the future of Dubai maritime City and world trade in general. An Oceanographic Research Center, a Naval History museum and traditional boat building demonstrations will further enhance the educational value of this truly unique development.

Dubai being worlds most preferred tourist destination has a thriving marine recreational market. Dubai Maritime City will be a virtual hotspot for merchandisers to sell, buy and rent yachting, cruising, fishing, sailing and diving equipment. Also in the pipeline are plans for a Decompression Chamber of Divers and Divers Center.

Ship design and manufacturing is a sector that has been a part of Dubai's progress through three decades and will now find a permanent base at Dubai Maritime City, Builders and designers of yachts, traditional ships and recreational boats will be based alongside ship repair and maintenance services and ship modification companies.

"Dubai Maritime City will be more that just an iconic maritime development with world class services. It will be the bridge between crucial trade markets in the East and the West. It will reinforce Dubai's reputation as the nucleus of world trade" said Bin Sulayem in his inaugural speech.

The first phase of the project, which involves the reclamation and building, the facilities for the ship repair work will be completed within one year, while the total project will be ready in two years.

"The maritime city will have a separate set of rules and regulations which will be drafted in consultation with the participants of the Maritime City so that it meets the requirements of the Marine Industry comprehensively," said Bin Sulayem commenting on the formulation of rules and regulation for the Dubai Maritime City.

On the occasion, Gulf Craft Inc announced its investment plans as a participant in the initial phase of this ambitious project. Mohammed bin Hussein Al Shaali, chairman, Gulf Craft Inc. making the announcement said "We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the founders of the ambitious Dubai Maritime City project and announce our plans to set up a fourth manufacturing base which will be located in the Dubai Maritime City right in the heart of the vibrant cosmopolitan city of Dubai. As a participant from the start we are certain to benefit from the global exposure and business opportunities the project is expected to offer."