"Star of Emirates" joins fleet of ETA's shipping division

The second vessel will join the fleet in October 2008, with a third joining the fleet in January 2009. Built in Japan, all three vessels follow the highest Japanese/European safety standards combined with energy efficiency.

Commenting on the Shipping division's purchase of the new vessels, Ahmad Abdullah Al Ghurair, Director, said:

"The Shipping Division is the flagship division of the ETA Ascon Star Group and has always demonstrated its ability to maintain its regional leadership in shipping. We are keen on expanding and upgrading our fleet to meet increasing regional and global demands. The acquisition of the three vessels also consolidates our position as the largest private ship operator in the Middle East market controlling over 70 vessels of various sizes in both dry and wet sectors. I congratulate the division, as 'Star of Emirates', the first of the three sister vessels, joins our fleet."

Ameer Faisal, Executive Director - Shipping Division, said, "We, at the Shipping division, are very excited to welcome 'Star of Emirates' to our fleet and wish her a safe and profitable service with us. The Shipping Division of ETA Ascon Star Group is committed to safe ship operation applying international safety standards and also operates a crew training facility in Mumbai in India with strict adherence to quality and safety."

'Star of Emirates' has received accreditations from International Maritime Organization and the American Bureau of Shipping Standards (ABS). On its first sail, the new vessel is nearing Australia, sailing from Japan to load a cargo of coal.

Kamsarmax vessels are the largest type ships that can load at the world's largest bauxite port, Port Kamsar, in Equatorial Guinea. Kamsarmax type bulk carrier is basically an 82,000 dead weight tonnes (dwt) Panamax, with increased LOA (Length Over All). 'Star of Emirates', the newest vessel to join ETA Ascon Star Group, has a maximum capacity of 83,000 dwt.

The Shipping Division has offices in London, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Due to the unprecedented growth witnessed by the shipping industry in the Far East, the division is currently focusing on the emerging economies in the region to further expand its operations.

The company's clients include major players in the cement, construction, power utilities, steel, fertilizer and chemical industry, flour mills in the Middle East, North/South America, Europe, Indian sub-continent and Australia.