Abu Dhabi's Al Seer Marine acquired two vessels including 'MV Twin Castor' and 'MV Twin Pollux' to boost its fleet. Photo: Al Seer Marine
Abu Dhabi's Al Seer Marine acquired two vessels including 'MV Twin Castor' and 'MV Twin Pollux' to boost its fleet. Photo: Al Seer Marine
Abu Dhabi's Al Seer Marine acquired two vessels including 'MV Twin Castor' and 'MV Twin Pollux' to boost its fleet. Photo: Al Seer Marine
Abu Dhabi's Al Seer Marine acquired two vessels including 'MV Twin Castor' and 'MV Twin Pollux' to boost its fleet. Photo: Al Seer Marine

Al Seer Marine buys two VLCCs for $110m to expand its fleet amid higher demand for crude


Fareed Rahman
  • English
  • Arabic

Al Seer Marine, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company, bought two very large crude carriers worth Dh404 million ($110m) as the company continues to expand its fleet amid higher demand for crude globally.

The new vessels, MV Twin Castor and MV Twin Pollux, each have a carrying capacity in the range of 320,000 deadweight tonnage to transport crude oil, provisions, lubricant and fuel, the company said in a statement on Monday to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where its shares are traded.

The newly acquired tankers are expected to provide estimated returns of more than 20 per cent to the company amid higher demand and an increase in crude oil production.

“This acquisition of two new crude oil tankers is strategically driven given the current market conditions, and we expect to see strong returns as oil demand recovers and ship recycling returns to normal levels,” Guy Neivens, chief executive of Al Seer Marine, said.

“With 19 per cent of existing global crude carrier supply dated at over 18 years old, they will be due for scrapping or recycling in the next few years. This will cause the global fleet numbers to shrink even further, presenting an opportune time for Al Seer Marine to expand.”

Al Seer Marine plans to acquire up to 15 ships in 2022 as it seeks to become a major global player in the commercial shipping segment.

The company recently acquired two liquefied petroleum gas tankers valued at a combined Dh246m and has very large gas carriers currently under construction as part of a joint venture with BGN International.

The company, which had assets worth Dh7.37 billion at the end of March 2022, has a diversified portfolio and offers services, including management and training, construction of vessels, high-tech boatbuilding, unmanned systems development and manufacturing.

It reported a more than eightfold jump in its first-quarter profit to Dh75.6m as revenue grew close to 41 per cent to Dh171m, according to its financial statement.

IHC is majority-owned by Abu Dhabi's PAL group of companies. The conglomerate includes more than 30 entities with 22,345 employees and is diversifying its holdings across sectors such as property, agriculture, health care, food and beverage, utilities, retail and leisure.

Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
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Director: Shazia Iqbal

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Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

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  • Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
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Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

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Updated: May 12, 2023, 4:46 PM