The first phase involves the reclamation and building the facilities for the ship repair work, explained Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Executive chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, who announced the project recently.

‘DMC will provide world class maritime services, catering to maritime industries that are continually growing’, he added.

Gulf Craft Inc. is taking part in the project as an investor in the first phase of DMC.
‘Our mission to emerge as a supplier of state of the art pleasure boats and yachts to local and international customers, has now been translated into a reality’, said Mohammed bin Hussein Al Shaali, chairman of Gulf Craft.

The maritime city, to be built between Port Rashid and Dubai Dry Docks, will cater to a diverse international maritime clientele and will focus on national, regional and international companies and institutions involved in maritime related business in six areas – marine services, management, product marketing, research and education, recreation, ship design and manufacturing.

The maritime city will have a separate set of rules and regulations and this will be drafted through consultations with prospective participants in the maritime city.

Bin Sulayem said DMC has the potential to host an array of shipping services including classifiers, onshore and offshore caterers and suppliers. Each service can operate as a separate entity but in close proximity to their prime avenues of business.

Ship repair and maintenance services will also be headquartered within this maritime project.

Marine management services ranging from cargo, vessel and life insurance agencies to legal businesses specializing in consultation, legal advice and marine domain lawyers will find DMC the perfect base for their operations.

Marine related marketing includes exhibitions and trade shows and hence media information groups will also find DMC an ideal venue.

Marine research and education will receive a big boost in the form of a ‘marine academy’ within DMC, where curricula like marine engineering, marine transportation, naval science, maritime operations and technology, logistics and intermodal transportation and pilot and navigation simulations will be promoted by DMC in the future.

Ship design and manufacturing companies will also find a permanent base at DMC.

Builders and designers of yachts, traditional ships and recreational boats will be based here along with ship repair and maintenance services and ship modification companies.