Dubai Maritime City Campus: the world’s first-of-its-kind maritime educational complex

(ameinfo.com)

Dubai Maritime City (DMC), the world’s first purpose-built maritime centre and a member of the Dubai World Group of companies, announced the establishment of Dubai Maritime City Campus (DMCC), the world’s first-of-its-kind maritime educational campus that is being developed to strengthen the City’s reputation as a global powerhouse in the maritime sector.

DMC has also appointed Singaporean Captain Jaafar Sidin as the Director of DMCC.

Set for completion in 2010, DMCC will accommodate over 1,300 students and will offer both short-term courses as well as degrees in various fields of maritime science through several world-renowned universities and maritime institutes. The complex will include state-of-the-art educational facilities that will be created for the universities and institutes that join the Campus. Also integrated into the facility are a two-story library, 500-room accommodation complex, convention centre for seminars and conferences, swimming pools and mechanical equipment for training purposes, as well as various simulators such as bridge simulator, anchor handling simulator and dynamic position simulator.

‘Dubai Maritime City has been established not just to cater to the requirements of the maritime sector, but also to add even more value to the whole maritime community by offering a full range of support infrastructure and amenities that enable easy integration and interaction among maritime businesses and services,’ stated Captain Jaafar.

‘As such, Dubai Maritime City Campus has been incorporated into the maritime centre’s master plan specifically to support the maritime centre’s manpower, educational, training and research requirements, which are vital elements to its long-term sustainability. Through this Campus, we are opening a huge window of opportunity to expand the region’s pool of specialists and professionals in various areas related to the maritime sector,’ added Captain Jaafar.

With a lengthy career in the academic world of maritime, Captain Jaafar brings tremendous experience and expertise to this role. As a Chief Officer and a Master of merchant ships during his sailing days, he also has practitioner experience in the shipping business and marine commercial practices in bills of ladings, charter parties, marine insurance, cargo operations, navigational safety and ship and cargo surveys. Prior to joining DMC, he held the position of Deputy Director at the Singapore Maritime Academy from 1995 to 2003 and as Section Head and Manager Business Development from 2003 to 2007.

On his part, Abdulla Al Hayyas, Operations Manager of DMCC, highlighted the strong interest DMCC is getting from international universities and institutions: ‘Dubai Maritime City is currently in talks with a number of international universities and institutions that specialise in maritime education on setting up within DMCC to help establish the Campus as a global academic hub for education, training and research in the maritime sector.’

Meanwhile, DMCC’s identity was also unveiled by Dubai Maritime City. The new look builds on Dubai Maritime City’s seven waves highlighting the Campus’ uniqueness and appeal within the global maritime industry. The DMCC logo reflects the world’s seven seas, seven continents and the seven districts of Dubai Maritime City.

Dubai Maritime City is currently undergoing the third and final phase of construction, which primarily involves infrastructure development. Aside from the DMCC, the other distinct districts of Dubai Maritime City are the Harbour Offices, Harbour Residences, Maritime Centre, Marina District and the Industrial Quarter managed by Dubai Drydocks.