Three new Damen search and rescue vessels have been handed over to Jawar al Khaleej (JAK) in a ceremony held on 23 September at Albwardy Damen in Sharjah, within five months after the contract was signed. The vessels are two Damen SPi 1605 SAR class plus one Damen STe 1905 SAR and they will be deployed in Iraqi waters under a 20-year contract between Jawar Al Khaleej L.L.C. (JAK) and the Iraqi Ports Authority.

From left to right: Pascal Slingerland (Regional Sales Director Middle East), Dr. Baydaq Al Jazaeri (Chairman of Jawar Al Khaleej), Lars Seistrup (Managing Director of Albwardy Damen)

JAK’s remit is to establish and operate a Search & Rescue Centre based in Basra in cooperation with the government-owned General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI). The state-of-the-art centre and its vessels will bring new capabilities in search and rescue to Iraqi waters. The new boats, while based on standard Damen designs, are fully equipped for search and rescue operations. Night vision cameras, onboard CCTV, man overboard platforms, stretchers first aid equipment and oxygen supplies are all part of their specification.

Group picture of all stakeholders in front of the wheelhouse of Jawar 31

In addition, a Damen Search and Rescue (SAR) 1906 is under construction for JAK. This vessel represents the next generation of rescue boats and has been developed in close cooperation with the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM). As would be expected from a rescue boat, this design will self-right within seconds after a capsize or even a 360° roll. The SAR 1906 series has been proven with their operations with the KNRM and the Turkish Coastguard to be a superior search and rescue boat able to operate in challenging sea conditions.

Search and Rescue vessel Jawar 31

During the delivery ceremony of the three SAR vessels, JAK also celebrated the completion of the conversion of the Jawar 31. A 122-metre vessel that has been refurbished to newbuilding standards and converted by Albwardy Damen to a multi-purpose heavy lift vessel, it has oil response capabilities and is equipped with a fully electric 250-tonne class crawler crane.

While Iraq’s coastline is just 58 kilometres in length, it is extremely busy with around 80% of Iraq’s oil exports departing from the Al Basra Oil Terminal. Besides the offshore rescue capabilities, the JAK search and rescue centre will also cover Iraq’s rivers.

From left to right: Pascal Slingerland (Regional Sales Director Middle East), Dr. Baydaq Al Jazaeri (Chairman of Jawar Al Khaleej), Mr Duraid Al Jazaeri (Vice Chairman of Jawar Al Khaleej), Nikolaos Pasaras (ABS), Nawfal Hussain (Advanced Watertek). 

“We are honored that Jawar al Khaleej has chosen our vessels once again,” says Pascal Slingerland, Regional Sales Director Middle East at Damen Shipyards Group. “Over the past two decades we have had the privilege of delivering more than 20 vessels, including 14 that were delivered five years ago for terminal operations. JAK always take tremendous care of their fleet, after five years of offshore operation the boats recently returned for the first time to Albwardy Damen for their special surveys. There they all passed without any major works required, due to the superior maintenance of the Jawar team and the Damen new-building standards designed for the lowest costs of ownership.

The hand-over ceremony was arranged by Jawar Al Khaleej with all the key suppliers invited including Liebherr (cranes), Lamor (oil recovery equipment), ABS (class society), Watertek, Albwardy Damen (new building, ship repair and conversions) and Damen, to celebrate the collaboration of all the involved parties and the successful delivery.

From left to right: Marcel van de Kreke (Operations Director of Albwardy Damen), Nikolaos Pasaras (ABS), Mikael Lindholm (Lamor), Dr. Baydaq Al Jazaeri (Chairman of Jawar Al Khaleej), Mr Duraid Al Jazaeri (Vice Chairman of Jawar Al Khaleej), Nawfal Hussain (Advanced Watertek), Hussein Samir (Liebherr), Pascal Slingerland (Regional Sales Director Middle East).

Dr. Baydaq Al Jazaeri, Chairman of Jawar Al Khaleej, expressed his gratitude for the successful collaborations that led to the delivery of these cutting-edge vessels; “At JAK, we are honoured by the trust placed in us by GCPI and the Iraqi government to manage critical oil spill response and search and rescue operations. It has been a privilege to collaborate with such an outstanding team of companies, each a leader in their field, to introduce groundbreaking innovations to the Middle East.

“Our successful partnership with Damen over the years has consistently delivered exceptional service, quality, and innovation, making us a proud and loyal customer. Coordinating the arrival of vessels and equipment and preparing them for rapid deployment to the new Emergency Response Base was a significant challenge, but we are immensely proud of the professionalism displayed by all involved and the exceptional quality of the final outcome.”