SAFEEN Drydocks expands operations with a 230-metre floating dock at Zayed Port, enhancing ship repair capabilities in Abu Dhabi.
SAFEEN Drydocks, the shipbuilding and repair subsidiary of Noatum Maritime, has commissioned a 230-metre floating dock at Zayed Port in Abu Dhabi, expanding a ship repair operation that already spans more than 170,000 square metres of shipyard facilities across Khalifa Port and Zayed Port. The new dock is the largest in the UAE, carries a lifting capacity of 21,000 tonnes, and is positioned alongside 1,000 metres of quayside.
The addition strengthens the company's ship repair, maintenance, and refurbishment capabilities and is designed to accommodate ocean-going commercial vessels and rig repair projects. For vessel owners and operators, the expanded infrastructure widens the range of projects the yard can take on while improving scheduling flexibility—a factor that directly influences turnaround times, transit reliability, and the cost of keeping tonnage in service.
SAFEEN Drydocks operates as a joint venture between AD Ports Group and Premier Marine Engineering Services LLC. The expanded drydocking capacity will also serve the maintenance needs of Noatum Maritime's deep-sea fleet, an arrangement the company says will improve operational efficiency and reduce vessel downtime.
"The addition of the floating dock marks an important step in the continued expansion of SAFEEN Drydocks' capabilities," said Captain Ammar Al Shaiba, CEO - Maritime & Shipping Cluster, AD Ports Group. "By increasing our capacity to serve larger vessels and maintenance projects, we are strengthening our ability to support customers with faster, more flexible maintenance solutions, while also enhancing the efficiency of our own fleet operations."
The Zayed Port investment follows Noatum Maritime's recent acquisition of the Balenciaga Shipyard in Spain, which includes drydocks, a 105-metre slipway, and a 22,385-square-metre factory equipped with advanced automation technology. Together, the two developments extend the group's ship repair footprint across the UAE and Europe.
The moves reinforce Noatum Maritime's strategy of investing in high-value maritime infrastructure and building out integrated marine services from Abu Dhabi. For cargo owners and logistics operators who depend on predictable vessel availability, the expansion positions SAFEEN Drydocks to deliver comprehensive repair, maintenance, and refurbishment support with greater capacity and shorter waiting times—a practical gain in a sector where every day of downtime carries a cost.
