Western Marine hands over three landing craft to UAE

Business Desk :

Western Marine Shipyard Limited handed over three newly built landing craft vessels to Marwan Shipping Ltd of the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, marking another step forward for Bangladesh’s growing export-oriented shipbuilding industry.

The vessels Maya, Emy and Muna were formally delivered at a ceremony held aboard the newly built landing craft Maya on the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram.

In 2023, Western Marine signed a contract with Marwan Shipping Ltd to construct eight vessels, including two tugboats, four landing craft and two tankers.

With the latest handover, the company has so far delivered four vessels under the agreement, following the earlier delivery of the landing craft Rayan in January and tugboats Khalid and Ghaya in July this year.

Speaking at the event, UAE ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Hamoudi said the commercial ties between the two companies would further strengthen the longstanding friendship between the two nations and he hoped more ships from Bangladesh would be exported to the UAE in the future.

Abdur Rahim Khan, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and administrator of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said shipbuilding had added a new dimension to the country’s export basket as both the public and private sectors became increasingly engaged in the industry.

Western Marine’s steady record of exporting vessels over the recent years was contributing to the economy, employment generation and diplomatic relations with friendly countries, he added.

He also said that Bangladesh is among a very small number of countries capable of building such large vessels. The country would soon be able to export even bigger ships to the global market.