Diverse offshore energy services built on experience

UAE

Ali El Ali, CEO of Zakher Marine International (ZMI), talks to The Energy Year about the company’s growing fleet of vessels and its plans for the future. ZMI, a subsidiary of ADNOC Logistics & Services, provides offshore services to the oil and gas sector.

What are the most important highlights from ZMI’s operations in 2024?
In addition to growing our fleets, in 2024, we expanded into new regions and markets, especially renewable energy, to establish ourselves as a global player. In 2024, our jackup barges were working in Europe, the USA and West Africa, to support the growth of the offshore wind farm sector.
While jackup barges have traditionally worked in offshore oil and gas support, they are also ideal for supporting other offshore energy projects in all kinds of roles, such as installation, modifications, operations, maintenance and decommissioning. This is part of our overall strategy to support a diversified energy mix and boost our commitment to sustainability.

What is your assessment of ZMI’s shift from oil and gas towards the broader energy industry?
Our fleet of jackup barges, combined with our years of experience developing offshore oil and gas projects, makes ZMI the ideal provider of best-in-class services for the offshore renewable energy sector. We build on our experience in the industry and tailor our services to meet new customer needs. Building offshore wind farms around the world has provided ZMI with the opportunity to learn about the various regulations and how they affect operations.
So, our fleet, our long years of experience and our understanding of these new markets means we are set to succeed in any broader energy projects. We have the capabilities and capacity to do more business in the European and US markets, where our assets already play a critical role in supporting offshore energy projects, as well as expand our presence in the GCC.

How will your geographical expansion strategy evolve going forward?
Our strategy is based on three aspects: our parent company, our resources and our target markets. Our plans are based on how we will add value to, and benefit from, the regional and international resources of our parent company, ADNOC Logistics & Services, which now has 19 offices serving more than 100 customers across at least 50 countries around the world. This considerable network will accelerate our expansion into these existing markets as well as beyond.
The majority of our vessels are jackup barges, and they are our main driver of growth with their capabilities and functionality. We will continue to expand our fleet as part of our broader strategy to support the transformational growth strategy of ADNOC Logistics & Services.
While we are heavily focused on offshore energy development, which remains our main focus, we are also exploring options to diversify our fleet to meet the demands of the offshore clean energy sector. We are interested in adding new types of vessels, such as wind-turbine installation ships, to provide clients with a wider range of services to support their needs.

How do you evaluate the synergies between ZMI and ADNOC Logistics & Services?
ADNOC Logistics & Services’ acquisition of ZMI has created real value for both businesses. The most important benefit is that there is much we can learn from each other, as we both have considerable knowledge to share, especially in how we can work together. This will help improve our business significantly, especially in how we can further improve our internal processes, procedures, compliance and governance, all of which raise the quality of our service delivery.

How significant will digitalisation and AI be for ZMI in the future?
Ensuring that we have a lean and efficient digital infrastructure is essential for service delivery. This is why we undertook a data cleanup process in 2024 to prepare our systems to optimise our operations. Looking forward, we have an ambitious digitalisation programme for the business to invest in AI, primarily to get the most out of our data. We are looking at new tools, such as smart contracts management and smart crew management, to deliver on our clients’ needs and exceed their expectations.

What are the key successes or milestones that stand out in ZMI’s 40-year history?
Our success lies in the history of our business and how excited everyone at ZMI is about our future. From our roots as an Arab-created homegrown business in Abu Dhabi to becoming a leading offshore energy company, all our workforce is proud of being part of an Emirati homegrown business that has left safe waters to sail around the world. You can see that in the way people wear the badge of our business. We operate out of the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and now our reach is global. So, we take pride in our legacy, and we are passionate about building the future.

Where do you see ZMI five years from now, and how do you see the company contributing to the global role that the UAE plays?
In the coming year, we will play an even bigger role in the success of ADNOC L&S as the company grows into a leading global energy maritime and logistics provider. ADNOC L&S is one of the biggest companies in the world in that space, and our ambition is to support them by becoming the biggest player in the offshore support services sector. We will not rest until we reach our destination.

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