Students from the Maritime Transport technology department, of the Arab Academy for Science,Technology and Maritime Transport Sharjah Branch (AASTS), will be trainedon-board Zakher Marine fleet, one of the leading maritime services companies across the region based in AbuDhabi, UAE.

There will be32, 14 males and 18 females, of AASTS studentswho will be trained on-board over a course of twosemesters, while students from the Maritime Engineering Department will be trainedon-board over a period of one semester.

During thecourse of the practical training, Zakher Marine will provide the Academy’sstudents with suitable living and training conditions on-board ships in linewith local and international standards, and will fulfill the needs of the students byproviding them the necessary care and insurance cover while on-board thevessels.

Zakher Marinespecialises in providing offshore support services and has one of the largestand most diverse fleets of marine support vessels in the UAE, making it anideal firm to provide practical on-board training to aspiring maritimeprofessionals. The training is in line with the academy’s ongoing efforts toempower aspiring maritime professionals to work in the industry.

Supporting on-field skills development

Commenting onthe start of the practical training for students, H.E. Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghaffar Ismail Farag, President of the ArabAcademy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport said: “Ever sincethe inception of the Academy, our aim has been to qualify some of the mostknowledgeable and skilled maritime professionals that will drive the progressof the sector. We aim to do this by offering a unique and ideal blend of both,theoretical education and practical training. At the core of our theoreticaleducation is our willingness to constantly update our education model to fitthe current requirements of the industry. This allows us to ensure that theknowledge of our future leaders is up to date. On the other hand, we have equipped our campuseswith some of the most advanced and state-of-the-art facilities such assimulators in order to offer our students the ideal environment to gainpractical training. However, what really keeps our students ahead of the curveis the timely on-field training they are provided with. Our collaboration withsome of the leading maritime organisations such as Zakher Marine aims toachieve this very purpose and we are proud of how far we have come with thisapproach.”

Ali El Ali, Managing Director, Zakher Marine International said: “As one of the leading maritime services companiesacross the region, we truly understand the importance of competentprofessionals, who have been at the core of our success over the years. Byoffering practical training to the students of the Arab Academy, we will beable to shape the future of the maritime industry by enhancing the skills ofits future professionals, many of which may contribute towards the growth ofour organisation by working with us as captains or engineers. Additionally, thetraining we offer to the Academy’s students is in line with our efforts to helpfurther improve the UAE’s economy, as we will be able to train aspiringprofessionals to drive the progress of the maritime industry, which is one ofthe most significant contributors to the nation’s economy.”

Dr. Capt. Ahmed Youssef, Associate Dean, College ofMaritime Transport and Technology, AASTS said: “The UAE currently ranks 5^th globally asa key maritime hub, while the industry contributes over AED90 billion annuallyto the national economy. This simply showcases the importance of investing inskilled professionals that contribute towards the growth of the sector. Whichis why, at AASTS, our primary focus has always been to ensure that our studentsget the right training and the right opportunities to build successful careersin the industry. We are confident that with Zakher Marine, our students are inthe right place to learn and understand what scenarios and opportunities lieahead of themselves in the industry. This is simply an unparalleled opportunityfor our future leaders to gain practical experience and grow on-board one ofthe largest fleets in the marine and oil field services in the UAE.

‍