Marine agency facilitates entry of over 3,500 dhows in 2023

DUBAI / WAM

The Marine Agency for Wooden Dhows at the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) in Dubai facilitated the entry of over 3,500 wooden dhows to Dubai during 2023, which helped increase the trade by wooden ships within the emirate till April 2023.
Mahmood Amin Khoory, CEO of the Marine Agency for Wooden Dhows of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, stated that in addition to adopting several initiatives and projects at the PCFC and the efforts of the Marine Agency for Wooden Dhows, the number of trips from January to April was more than 3,500 wooden ships carrying half a million tonnes of cargo and 284,361 of livestock.
Khoory pointed to the reduced time taken to complete the procedures of one ship from 40 days previously to about three to five days, which contributed to achieving a five percent increase in the percentage of vessels received during the same period in 2022, which strengthened Dubai’s position as a major global trade centre. He added, “Merchants can now handle goods inside and outside ships easily, and all the necessary facilities are provided to coordinate sailing operations and all tasks of wooden ships and sailors 72 hours before the arrival of ships, where the Marine Agency will book their berths to get ready for export or import their goods.”
The Marine Agency is responsible for supervising wooden ships coming to Dubai and organising all operations related to them during their presence in the emirate’s waters as part of the corporation’s endeavour to develop the trade and business environment in Dubai and make it a regional centre that attracts various trade sectors. Khoory noted the efforts of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation aim to make Dubai a regional centre for wooden ships through three main ports and docks, namely Dubai Creek, Deira Wharfage and Al Hamriyah Port.
He stated that the Marine Agency is working to provide all the necessary services and facilities for wooden ships that line the docks through the multiple ports in Dubai to facilitate the movement of commercial wooden ships to and from Dubai.
Khoory praised the efforts of the partners of the Marine Agency in coordinating efforts to develop the business of owners and traders of wooden vessels by shortening the time and transactions necessary to clear their goods by uniting the entity they deal with directly in addition to providing them with multiple commercial solutions and options, maintaining the security of goods and ensuring their safety, and protecting them from damage during unloading and loading operations in the Dubai ports.