Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar Gets ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFICATION

Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ) announced today it had been certified under the ISO 9001:2008 standard by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) — one of the world’s leading accreditation authorities and recognized for their high standards of technical competence. The certification attests to NDSQ’s high international standards of service, organizational effectiveness and commitment to a safe and healthy workplace and environment.

The certificate of achievement was awarded to NDSQ Managing Director, Mr. Jan-Wim Dekker, by LRQA’s Mr. Reda Tebbal, Country Manager, Qatar, during a ceremony at the company’s offices in the Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in the Port of Ras Laffan. Mr. Dekker expressed his pleasure on this occasion and said, “I’m proud of this important achievement made by NDSQ during a very short period. This accomplishment highlights the dedication of the entire NDSQ team working in cooperation to effectively implement and maintain the integrated management system necessary to achieve the highest standards of safety, health, environment and quality.”

NDSQ Chairman and Nakliat, Managing Director, Mr. Muhammad Ghannam, said, “This new milestone for NDSQ represents another tangible example of our commitment to excellence in all business areas; to continuous improvement in our operations; and to our insistence on a safe and healthy workplace and environmental protection. This accomplishment is in line with the clear vision of his Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, The Emir of the state of Qatar and our goal to be the world’s leading owner and operator of vessels for the transportation of LNG and associated products, and to be the provider-of-choice for ship repair and construction services, as measured by customer satisfaction, financial profitability, growth, operational efficiency and high standards of safety, health and environment and quality.”

About the Standard
ISO 9001 is a management system standard for Quality, which applies to all types of organization. In compliance to the requirements of ISO 9001, the organization is recognized and respected to meet high levels of international standards of service.

About Nakilat
Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. (known as “Nakilat”, which means carriers in Arabic) is a Qatari-listed shipping company established by the State of Qatar to own, operate and manage LNG vessels and to provide shipping and marine-related services to a range of participants within the Qatari hydrocarbon sector. Nakilat is an integral component of the supply chain of some of the largest, most advanced energy projects in the world undertaken by Qatar Petroleum, Qatargas, RasGas and their joint venture partners for the State of Qatar.

Nakilat was established in 2004 and is a joint stock company owned 50% by its founding shareholders and 50% by the public. Nakilat owns 54 LNG vessels, making it the largest LNG ship owner in the world. Our fleet of vessels transport LNG produced from Qatar’s North Field, the world’s largest non-associated gas field with approximately 15% of the world’s total proven reserves to global markets. These vessels, ordered from Korean shipyards, incorporate the latest technology for safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation of LNG.

Nakilat has also developed the Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard, a new world-class shipbuilding and ship repair facility in the Port of Ras Laffan and has formed a Joint Venture (JV) with Keppel Offshore & Marine, N-KOM (Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine to jointly operate the state-of-the-art ship repair yard. Nakilat also has a JV with Damen Shipyards Group, NDSQ (Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar) to manage the construction of high-value small ships (< 120m length) The N-KOM and NDSQ partnerships are both strategic and key to the goal of positioning the State of Qatar as an internationally recognized center of excellence in ship building, repair and conversion.

About Damen Shipyards Group:

Damen Shipyards Group (DAMEN) was founded in The Netherlands in 1927. Today DAMEN is still privately owned and the company has grown to acquire a leading position in modular shipbuilding based on standardized designs. This concept was introduced in 1969, giving DAMEN the ability to offer its customers well-proven vessels, very short delivery times and competitive prices.

With currently more than 34 shipyards and related companies in 13 countries all over the world, DAMEN is involved in new construction as well as maintenance and repair activities. In addition, DAMEN provides a broad range of associated maritime services. In keeping with its ambition to serve customers DAMEN has established a reputation for efficient post-delivery support, including spare parts services, maintenance contracts, planned maintenance systems and refits.

DAMEN shipbuilding activities include a wide range of products, such as tugs, workboats, offshore supply vessels patrol craft, naval and coast guard vessels, cargo vessels, product carriers, high speed craft, dredgers and even mega yachts and fast ferries. Shipbuilding kits are also available. Product design and engineering are carried out in-house and a broad range of designs is available.