Major work boat forum for gulf will be free!

To be held in conjunction with the Baird Events-organised Work Boat Gulf Exhibition in
Bahrain, the forum will be a very intensive two day affair.

The venue is the top class Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, directly opposite the Work Boat Gulf Exhibition.

The Forum will run from 10:00am until 5:30pm on Monday, April 6 and
Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

The Arabian Gulf Workboats Association's (AGWA) first forum will be comprehensive and intensive.

Leading experts from all over the world are being invited to present on a range of subjects of intense interest to owners, operators, charters and suppliers of offshore service vessels, crew boats, tugs, barges, construction vessels, harbour craft, dredgers and much more.

All major Arabian Gulf based owners and operators of such craft are expected to attend.

Thanks to the Saudi Aramco sponsorship, attendance will be free-of-charge but by invitation only.

With additional support from other leading local participants such as the Zamil Group, ASRY
(Arab Ship Repair Yard) and BAREC, it is certain to be a very high quality event.

The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and the area around Bahrain is a hotbed of work boat activity.

It is destined to become even more so.

The founder of AGWA, the Executive Director of Industrial Services of Saudi Aramco, Mr Amer Sulaim, sees the forum as a great way to improve the vessels and the people involved with the industry in the region.

"We intend to examine all aspects of work boat activity. We will look at the design, construction, equipping, manning, maintenance, basing, managing, sale and purchase, insurance, flagging, classing and financing of our large and growing fleet."

Mr Sulaim said.

"The AGWA Forum is intended to be hard work but useful for networking and information gathering. We hope there will be a bit of fun also."