Austal confirmed an unconditional contract has been signed with Oman’s National Ferries Company (NFC) for the maintenance of seven large high-speed craft. The contract requires Austal to deliver vessel maintenance services for NFC’s five high speed ferries and two Oman Coast Guard rescue boats, co-managed by NFC, for a period of up to five years.
Work will be performed by Austal at various regional ports within the Sultanate of Oman, including the capital city, Muscat. Austal’s service presence in the Middle East now includes hubs for the Red Sea (Egypt) and the Arabian Gulf (Oman), with a regional office in the UAE to open in coming months.
Austal was awarded the contract following a competitive international tender process. Among the vessels covered by the contract are Austal-built 213.2 ft high speed vehicle ferries Shinas and Hormuz, which were delivered to the Sultanate of Oman in 2008.
Austal currently has similar vessel maintenance contracts underway in countries including Trinidad and Tobago and Egypt.