Dubai Maritime City Authority, the world's first purpose-built maritime center and a member of the Dubai World Group of companies, has announced Monday the establishment of Emirates International Maritime Academy, in a move lauded by key players of the country's maritime sector as an important initiative to help the growing regional maritime sector augment its pool of experienced and skilled professionals. The academy will be based within Dubai Maritime City Campus (DMCC), serving as the gateway for citizens and residents in the region to enter the maritime field. The academy will provide various marine-oriented academic programs and will also provide individuals keen to work on trade ships with opportunities to enrol in educational programs that offer certificates in engineering and other fields of maritime navigation. The study programs will be conducted according to International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards in both theoretical and practical training, in addition to short-term marine courses, which will cover various maritime topics. “One of the crucial elements that will support the long-term sustainability of the maritime sector is a world-class pool of marine professionals. Moreover, the professional expertise of the maritime workforce must be at par with international standards. Establishing a dedicated marine academy will be a significant step towards ensuring the steady supply of highly qualified maritime professionals in the region,” said Captain Jaafar Sidin, director of Dubai Maritime City Campus. The academy will start operation in its temporary location at Dubai Maritime City while awaiting the completion of DMCC. It will inaugurate its programs during the next few weeks; one of the initial courses to be offered is steering of yachts and boats of different sizes, which has been widely in demand across the region, particularly in Dubai. The academy is also finalizing other specialized courses in safety, rescue and maritime environment along with short courses of a technical nature, in addition to other courses in law and maritime legislation, which will be held during the current year as well. “Emirates International Maritime Academy has chosen Dubai Maritime City's educational complex as its location because it provides highly developed educational facilities that meet the highest international standards. This is crucial in creating a conducive learning environment. Many universities, institutes, research and development centres have already expressed strong interest to establish a branch within DMCC,” added Jaafar. “The educational complex is keen to attract the most prominent maritime universities and institutes in the world; discussions with some of these institutes have entered its final stages and will be announced in due course. This is in line with the maritime city's objectives of cultivating diversity, quality and innovation in the courses being offered to match the needs of the region's expanding and evolving maritime sector.” “The academy will work in close coordination with the various maritime sectors in the region to meet their human resource requirements.” __
