UAE ports celebrate the role of merchant seamen on International Day of the Seafarer

Ports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai gave away gifts, free Covid-19 vaccines and medical screenings

The Federal Transport Authority helped to relieve a crew of 10 seafarers on board the MV Azraqmoiah tanker in 2019. The ship was unable to leave its anchorage off the UAE coast where it had been since April 2017. It had been abandoned by its owner. Courtesy Captain Ayyaappa of MVA

About 200,000 seafarers were stuck at sea during the coronavirus pandemic as the shipping industry ground to a halt. Oil tanker the MT Gulf Sky was hijacked off the coast of the UAE in July. its sailors had been abandoned by its owners without pay since March off Khorfakkan. Courtesy: Human Rights At Sea

Volunteers distribute food and supplies to the crews of "ghost" ships stranded at sea. In many cases vessels and their owners are caught in legal or commercial disputes. Courtesy: Mission to Seafarers 

Capt Ayyappan Swaminathan at home in India with his wife Menaga and daughter Aniha. The merchant sailor was trapped for 18 months on the MV Azraqmoiah vessel off the cost of Sharjah due to a financial dispute with his employer. Courtesy Mission to Seafarers

Crew on the Mt Iba are anchored four miles off the UAE coast due to coronavirus restrictions. Abandoned seafarers were the focus of a safety at sea conference held in December. Courtesy NayWin

Seafarers onboard the Mt Iba anchored off the Dubai coast hope lifting of Covid-19 maritime restrictions will soon allow them to return home after more than three years at sea. From left, cook Monchand Shaikh, second engineer Vinay Kumar and ordinary seaman Nirmal Singh, all from India. Courtesy: Nay Win 

Reverend Andy Bowerman, right, has helped scores of seafarers who have been abandoned by their employers during the Covid-19 pandemic. His role at the Mission to Seafarers involves ensuring medical help, food supplies and fuel is available to forgotten merchant sailors. The National

A 16-man crew of Indian and Pakistani sailors on board the 330-metre MT Zoya 1 vessel off Sharjah were awaiting clearance to come ashore, but a legal dispute had left them owed months of unpaid salary. They finally returned home in 2018 after more than a year at sea. 

UAE ports marked the International Day of the Seafarer on Friday with a series of events to raise the profile of merchant seamen.

The celebration was established in 2010 by the International Maritime Organisation, the UN agency for regulating shipping, to highlight the role played by seafarers around the world.

Like other international transport centres, Abu Dhabi Ports had ships in harbour sound their horns in salute.

The Horns of Hope initiative was unveiled 2020, in solidarity and recognition of the maritime, healthcare and critical sector personnel working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign reached more than 260 million people in more than 23 countries.

During the pandemic, thousands of merchant seamen were unable to return home after their contracts finished because of countries closed their borders. Many waited months before they could come ashore to be repatriated.

Capt Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, group chief executive of Abu Dhabi Ports, called for more appreciation of ships' crews.

“Our seafarers, the unsung heroes of world trade, deserve our utmost respect, attention, and care," he said.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, they played a key role in securing the smooth flow of goods and medical supplies into Abu Dhabi as normal.

“International Day of the Seafarer is one of the many ways we support them and celebrate their contribution."

Abu Dhabi Ports organised events for the seamen on Friday, and distributed gifts as a token of appreciation.

The company offered free coronavirus vaccinations and PCR testing to more than 10,000 crew, in partnership with the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi.

DP World also offered free medical screenings for seafarers, and distributed food and giveaway packs at Jebel Ali International Seafarers Centre in Dubai.

The facility has provided support to more than 20,000 seafarers, with free facilities including counselling services, check-ups, WiFi, and indoor and outdoor games. The centre also offers free transport to and from vessels to its headquarters.