Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AP Moller-Maersk in order to collaborate to develop and establish a ship recycling industry in the Kingdom.
The MoU intends to encourage collaborative research and efforts in safe and sustainable ship recycling among the participating companies in Bahrain, marking the first collaboration of its kind in the Kingdom.
According to the MoU, both ministries will provide organizational support to the Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY), which will prepare the docks and yards for larger vessels.
AB Moller-Maersk will contribute by attracting ships for recycling and providing its expertise as a consultant to ensure the operations meet international standards. In return, Bahrain Steel will receive and process the steel from the recycling process for distribution in the local and international markets.
Mohammed bin Thamer Al Kaabi, the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, said Bahrain’s commitment to achieving sustainable development goals through strategic and effective partnerships between the public and private sectors is in line with the principles of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.
For his part, Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, emphasized that “this MoU is a testament to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s commitment to promoting sustainable manufacturing, enabling the private sector to implement the concepts of a circular economy, and spreading the culture of environmental and social governance in line with the pillars of the Industrial Sector Strategy (2022-2026).”
Ahmed Hassan, the Head of Procurement at AP Moller-Maersk, stated that Maersk Group has established a ship recycling program that is governed by standards for the responsible handling of ship recycling, regardless of geographical location. These standards incorporated the guidelines set by the International Maritime Organization through the Hong Kong Convention and exceed requirements in several criteria, including waste stream management, labor standards, human rights, and anti-corruption, among others.
