CEO Yasser Nasr Zaghloul tells us how NMDC has joined the international high ranks of being one of the top marine dredging corporations in the world
Founded in 1976, The National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) has been adding value across the region through their specialist services in dredging, reclamation and marine construction activities. The company was founded under Emiri law no 10. issued by The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and became a public joint stock company in 1978. “National Marine started 40 years ago as a part of Adnoc group. At that particular time, we began with few resources for developing the water circulation in AbuDhabi Channels and Ports. We became independent from Adnoc and became
publicly listed in 1979. Since then NMDC has been working in the dredging and marine fields with a special focus on Abu Dhabi markets and working on developing Abu Dhabi’s marine life,” explains Yasser Nasr Zaghloul, CEO.
Associated with providing flexible, cost-effective and on-time solutions for their clients, one of the most prestigious and well-known projects helmed by NMDC is the Abu Dhabi Corniche Public Beach. ppointed by the Abu Dhabi Municipality to develop the Corniche beach, which is a popular recreational gathering spot for residents and visitors alike and stretches approximately 4 km along the Corniche road. Zaghloul explains how dredging is crucial for the economy: “Due to the vast marine area of Abu Dhabi, dredging is very important. The Abu Dhabi Corniche was developed by NMDC to provide a eachfront of international standards. We have also developed four artificial islands to increase the roduction of oil for Adnoc, which was regarded as one of the most difficult dredging jobs in the world. The project was of one and a half billion dollars and now the island are producing oil for the economy,” he says.
NMDC has built multiple harbours, ports and navigation channels. They have delved into various sectors of oil and gas, tourism and urban planning.”
Anything that is related to marine is of high interest to NMDC. We cover all types of marine-related projects from building islands to creating navigation routes. Since we are a homegrown company, it is our top priority to develop Abu Dhabi, therefore many of our noteworthy projects are also related to
energy, oil and gas as they benefit our economy,” comments Zaghloul. NMDC boasts an extensive list of projects such as the Upper Zakum Field development, which was to aid the development of petroleum operations of Zakum to enhance oil productivity, Al Gurm resort which was to create a land surrounded by water areas to build a luxury resort, Mubadala’s Al Maryah Island, which paved the foundation for subsequent projects such as dredging, reclamation, segregation of material, and The Mangroves project, which was executed successfully by NMDC, as an environmental project.
For NMDC, every project is close to heart, “We believe that forming a strong partnership is crucial as the client entrusts us with their projects. The outcomes have been successful, which speaks volumes of our client satisfaction rate,” states Zaghloul. NMDC is built on five core values of commitment, integrity, excellence, teamwork and ownership, which has led them into the list of the top 10 dredging and reclamation companies in the world. “Our home market is our top priority and our aim is to consistently support it. We are growing internationally and making our footprint as an Emirati company by
gaining international concessions. One of our noteworthy projects was the Suez Canal, which was unique in terms of quantity and time, and was extremely successful,” says Zaghloul. NMDC formed a consortium with three international companies and complete the dredging scope of lots 2, 3, 4 and 5
with total dredging volume of almost 200 million cubic metres. “Our goal is to sustain our environment and economy. We know what is important and we need to deliver it at the right time. Our client’s trust is of the utmost value to us,” comments Zaghloul
ADDING VALUE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
For NMDC, preserving the ecological environment is pivotal. “The environment is very important to us and our people. We take everything related to it very seriously as we need to preserve it for our future generations. What we build today, will follow us tomorrow,” he explains. Therefore it has been NMDC’s
constant endeavour to minimise the environmental impact in all projects they undertake. Their process is always audited and certified in conformity with the ISO 14001 environmental management system. “With every form of development there is an impact. What is important is to balance out any negative
impact by ccompensation,” Zaghloul says. The Mussafah Channel is a successful example of the passion
NMDC holds for the environment. “For the Mussafah Channel concession, we had to cross Bul Sayeef Marine Protected Area, which is known as an environmentally sensitive area, where certain parts of seagrass had to be cut down. We communicated with the environmental department, discussed thoroughly about the risks and showed our construction and environmental management system plan, to avoid harming any marine life. During an 18-month period, we did not receive a single comment from the department, which was an assertion of us being on the right track,” he states. “Once the project was completed, we created a habitat island in conjunction with our client, UPC. We planted sea grass, artificial reef and coral. Our overall goal is to benefit and add value to our environment, and that is what we aim to achieve with our project,” he adds.
Another special project for NMDC are the Mangroves, which are a vital part of Abu Dhabi’s environment. “If not given the appropriate attention, such as providing the right water circulation, they
could die,” explains Zaghloul. “There fore, we have conducted multiple studies on Mangrove areas and have opened channels to develop the right water circulation to improve their lives and marine life. We will soon be launching a media campaign by the direction of His Highness, for an initiative to clean the sea bed and water surface of all water routes of Abu Dhabi. This initiative will improve the quality of the water and marine life,” he adds.
BUILDING A NEW TODAY FOR A SUCCESSFUL TOMORROW
For NMDC, the future holds many tremendous projects. “At the moment we are working in Bahrain for our client, Ministry of Housing to reclaim land for the construction of community housing. We aim to delve into international regions such as India, Africa, GCC and more states within the Middle East as we
feel there are opportunities in terms of growth and development,” he says
The key to success for NMDC is adding value to the lives of their employees, shareholders and stakeholders
We recognise the importance of our employees who work in conjunction with
clients for numerous projects. We want to build their capability as it aids in the growth of our organisation, which in turn strengthens our economy
says the CEO. NMDC is built on the foundation of delivering satisfaction to their clients and community and that is a mission they are constantly striving towards.
