Abu Dhabi Ship Building PJSC and BVT Surface Fleet Ltd. of the UK, the maritime Joint Venture between BAE Systems and VT Group, announced Sunday their intention to form a new joint venture company that will provide a complete range of support services to navies and security organizations in the GCC. It will be the first joint venture of its kind in the Arabian Gulf Region where a locally-based, world class, naval shipbuilding company has teamed with one of the world's leading providers of through-life naval support services.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to lay the foundations for the new company to be established in Abu Dhabi in 2009. It will offer a range of naval support services across the full spectrum of integrated logistics support and training as well as outsourcing solutions for base facilities to support the marine fleets of navies, coast guards, marine police, homeland security organizations, special forces and other key commercial customers; not only in the UAE, but to the whole of the GCC region, an ADSB press release said.

ADSB's Board Chairman HE Abdulla Nasser bin Huwaileel Al Mansouri said: "ADSB is already an important strategic asset for naval customers in the GCC. "Through this joint venture with BVT, we will be able to increase the level of support for our clients, allowing them to focus their efforts on the important duty of protecting the UAE and the GCC countries.

ADSB's Chief Executive Officer William Saltzer said: "This joint venture between ADSB and BVT will have the local presence, capability and experience to bring a whole new level of naval fleet support to the region. Our aim is to help our GCC customers achieve both greater operational availability of their fleets and cost savings at the same time."

"Military vessels and the equipment carried on board are complex and sophisticated requiring a high degree of support. Today's realities demand their utmost availability. This joint venture is aimed at offering military and para-military clients a local provider of total naval support services to maintain their vessels, maximize availability and to run their non-core base activities and facilities economically to support their fleets." Sir John Parker, Non-Executive Chairman of BVT, said "BVT is already an important strategic naval through-life partner for the UK Ministry of Defence and a number of other Navies around the world. Combining this expertise with ADSB's first class facilities, experience and regional knowledge will establish a world-class provider of naval support services for customers in the Gulf region".

BVT Chief Executive, Alan Johnston CBE, said "This is a significant strategic move for BVT and, once formed, the Joint Venture will greatly enhance our customer base and global footprint. "Together, BVT and ADSB will provide a high level of expertise to address the growing demand for enhanced through-life naval support from military and para-military organisations in the region".

Once the Joint Venture is operational, BVT and ADSB will be fully committed to the effective transfer of technologies, processes, systems and skills in the field of naval support services to the JV and to plan for its Emiratisation. This new Abu Dhabi based JV will also strive to work in close cooperation with customers in the other GCC countries and form partnerships and alliances in those countries to develop the local support capabilities needed there as well. – Emirates News Agency, WAM