Zakher Marine International will train AASTS students on-board its fleet; supporting the Academy’s efforts to provide top-notch practical training to aspiring maritime professionals 

  
Sharjah, UAE, 25 July 2022: Students from the Maritime Transport technology department, of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport Sharjah Branch (AASTS), will be trained on-board Zakher Marine fleet, one of the leading maritime services companies across the region based in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
 
There will be 32, 14 males and 18 females, of AASTS students who will be trained on-board over a course of two semesters, while students from the Maritime Engineering Department will be trained on-board over a period of one semester. 
 
During the course of the practical training, Zakher Marine will provide the Academy’s students with suitable living and training conditions on-board ships in line with local and international standards, and will fulfill the needs of the students by providing them the necessary care and insurance cover while on-board the vessels.
 
Zakher Marine specialises in providing offshore support services and has one of the largest and most diverse fleets of marine support vessels in the UAE, making it an ideal firm to provide practical on-board training to aspiring maritime professionals. The training is in line with the academy’s ongoing efforts to empower aspiring maritime professionals to work in the industry. 
 
Supporting on-field skills development
 
Commenting on the start of the practical training for students, H.E. Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghaffar Ismail Farag, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport said: “Ever since the inception of the Academy, our aim has been to qualify some of the most knowledgeable and skilled maritime professionals that will drive the progress of 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 theoretical education is our willingness to constantly update our education model to fit the current requirements of the industry. This allows us to ensure that the knowledge of our future leaders is up to date. On the other hand, we have equipped our campuses with some of the most advanced and state-of-the-art facilities such as simulators in order to offer our students the ideal environment to gain practical training. However, what really keeps our students ahead of the curve is the timely on-field training they are provided with. Our collaboration with some of the leading maritime organisations such as Zakher Marine aims to achieve this very purpose and we are proud of how far we have come with this approach.”
 
Ali El Ali, Managing Director, Zakher Marine International said: “As one of the leading maritime services companies across the region, we truly understand the importance of competent professionals, who have been at the core of our success over the years. By offering practical training to the students of the Arab Academy, we will be able to shape the future of the maritime industry by enhancing the skills of its future professionals, many of which may contribute towards the growth of our organisation by working with us as captains or engineers. Additionally, the training we offer to the Academy’s students is in line with our efforts to help further improve the UAE’s economy, as we will be able to train aspiring professionals to drive the progress of the maritime industry, which is one of the most significant contributors to the nation’s economy.”
 
Dr. Capt. Ahmed Youssef, Associate Dean, College of Maritime Transport and Technology, AASTS said: “The UAE currently ranks 5th globally as a key maritime hub, while the industry contributes over AED90 billion annually to the national economy. This simply showcases the importance of investing in skilled professionals that contribute towards the growth of the sector. Which is why, at AASTS, our primary focus has always been to ensure that our students get the right training and the right opportunities to build successful careers in the industry. We are confident that with Zakher Marine, our students are in the right place to learn and understand what scenarios and opportunities lie ahead of themselves in the industry. This is simply an unparalleled opportunity for our future leaders to gain practical experience and grow on-board one of the largest fleets in the marine and oil field services in the UAE.