Adding capacity of 966 TEUs, the new Service Vessel will support operations along the UAE’s coast
SAFEEN Feeders, a leading container feeder operator of AD Ports Group, recently announced the acquisition of a container ship that will join its feeder service fleet in the Arabian Gulf.
The SAFEEN Pearl, formerly called Vega Virgo, will be deployed in its UAE Coastal Service (UCO) providing seamless connection to UAE coastal ports via its hub at Khalifa Port.
The UAE-Coastal Feeder Service provides shipping customers with a perfect connectivity solution that accelerates last leg deliveries between the Group’s flagship, Khalifa Port, and the coastal ports of Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah, while supporting movement of goods and optimising local logistic chains.
“As part of the UAE-Coastal Feeder Service, SAFEEN Pearl will greatly improve our ability to provide customers with a flexible, agile, sustainable, and cost-effective solution that meets their demand of a coastal service in the UAE from our hub at Khalifa Port,” said Captain Maktoum Al Houqani, Chief Corporate Authority Officer and Acting Head of Maritime Cluster – AD Ports Group, Managing Director – Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy.
SAFEEN Pearl has a gross registered tonnage (GRT) of 10,000T and a nominal handling capacity of 966 TEU. It has a LOA of 139m, breadth of 22.6m and a draft of 8.8m. It was built in South Korea in 2012.
“Registering the ship, which carries the UAE flag confirms that it fulfils all the requirements set by international organisations regarding the Flag State in accordance with regulations and procedures that ensure safety, protecting the environment and maritime security,” remarked Capt. Abdulla Darwish Al Hayyas, Director of Maritime Transport Affairs, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. Launched in 2020, SAFEEN Feeders was created to deliver premium feeder services linking Abu Dhabi to other crucial ports across the UAE, the wider-Gulf region, and the Indian subcontinent.
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