Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the government authority charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising Dubai’s maritime sector, has signed an agreement with DNV GL to collaborate on several maritime innovation initiatives.

The agreement was signed in Dubai between Amer Ali, executive director of DMCA, and Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO DNV GL Maritime.

The partnership aims to facilitate DMCA’s aspirations to make Dubai a first-class international maritime gateway by investing in research and innovation and mutually sharing knowledge and experiences on the latest shipping technology, as well as developments in environmental, safety, and quality concerns. The agreement will set the framework for both organizations to determine key areas of collaboration.

“DMCA’s collaboration with DNV GL is part of our long-term vision for Dubai to become a world-class maritime gateway,” said Ali. “Innovation, research and technology are certainly essential factors for DMCA to provide an internationally-recognized maritime cluster and enhance the sector’s efficiency and global competitiveness. In navigating through this path, it is important that DMCA establishes the right tools and methods in order to manage the impact as well as the opportunities that new technologies present to us.”

DMCA and DNV GL will explore initiatives that will further advance the Dubai maritime sector’s technological capacity in areas such as smart shipping, digitalization, big data, and real-time information management. The agreement also looks to promote maritime innovation programs in Dubai, the UAE, and in other parts of the Middle East. DMCA and DNV GL will also involve local universities, higher education institutes, research organizations and other government bodies in Dubai and the UAE.

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL commended DMCA’s efforts to make the local maritime sector a pivotal player in the international maritime arena. “Dubai Maritime City Authority is taking a major step forward in terms of creating a highly competitive maritime environment with the ability to keep pace with regional and global changes,” he added. “We are confident that our cooperation will yield positive results and further enhance growth and innovation in the local and regional maritime clusters, ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality.”

DNV GL, an international classification society headquartered in Norway, is globally recognized for its expertise in helping companies manage risk in the maritime industry, especially in safeguarding life, property and the environment and ensuring safety and sustainability within the sector.