In view of its role as the first Arab classification society, a delegation from Emirates Classification Society “Tasneef” visited Lebanon in order to accredit the society by the Lebanese government and deliver marine classification services for the Lebanese maritime market.
Eng. Rashed AlHebsi, CEO of Tasneef expressed his optimism with this visit saying, “At Tasneef, we envision ourselves to be at the core of an integrated Arab maritime economy that employs its full potential for the strategic location of this region. The value of this Arab maritime economy is estimated at USD 1 billion dollars on a daily basis and it mostly goes to the foreign classification societies and maritime companies. For this purpose, we are keen on having a viable presence in all the Arab countries, as we believe there is a great need for our services by ship- owners, operators, and Arab investors in this promising and vital sector.”
Tasneef has many competitive services bringing an added value to ship owners in the Arab region through particular standards and specifications to adapt to the nature of the region. After achieving a solid presence in the UAE, and becoming a key player there, it’s time for Tasneef to expand into the rest of the Arab countries.
AlHebsi added, “Currently we are implementing GCC standards and specifications for ships not covered by international conventions (GCC Code), as we believe that many ship owners and companies are in need to transfer our GCC experience to the Arab region because it strengthens safety and security in ships and it promotes competitiveness in the maritime market by reducing unequal competition in prices from those who provide cheaper services at the expense of safety and quality specifications.”
Eng. Omar Abu Omar, COO at Tasneef, emphasized the importance of the visit saying, “It is considered a significant step for delivering the best services and practices in terms of ship classification, training and technical consulting, in addition to research and development. That is why we look for the best partnerships with the institutions and companies operating in our field to provide quality services to our customers with competitive prices.”
Abu Omar concluded, “Lebanon represents an exceptional area for expertise and professional maritime competence as many of Lebanon’s youth work in the maritime sector driven by their passion for trade. We are confident that this expertise and competence will promote the status of Lebanon and the Arab region in delivering quality services.”
Lebanese Leadership in Trade
During the exchange of commemorative shields with Mr. Abdul-Hafeez Al-Qaisi, Director General of Land and Maritime Transport under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport in Lebanon; and Mr. Mohamed M. Itani, Secretary General of the Arab Federation of shipping and the President of the Lebanese Ship Owners Association; a dialogue was held about the prospects of strengthening cooperation among Tasneef and all the Lebanese companies operating in the maritime sector in order to employ a strong Lebanese presence in several countries in the world through a broad base of entrepreneurs and Lebanese maritime investors. Tasneef has already started receiving requests from a number of Lebanese maritime companies for its services.
AlHebsi concluded saying, “Our visit to Lebanon will greatly contribute towards helping Lebanese companies get better services in the field of classification and ship inspection, so together, we can have real added value by also improving our marine services in the region.”
