MANAMA: ASRY (Arab Shipbuilding & Repair Yard) has won the Shipyard Of the Year Award at the recent Lloyds List Middle East and Indian Subcontinent (MEIS) Awards 2015, one of the region’s leading honours in the shipping industry. The award recognizes a shipyard in the Middle East or Indian Subcontinent region that has consistently met the needs of its customers in these times of tight capacity. The judging committee said ASRY had shown a commitment to, and demonstrated, growth in the continued challenges in the region, securing contracts from some of the region’s leading shipowners.

ASRY Chief Executive, Nils Kristian Berge commented regarding the victory, “It’s very gratifying to see organisations such as Lloyds List, which are highly regarded and independent bodies, recognising ASRY’s tireless efforts to maintain our position as the region’s preferred shipyard. This awards season, ASRY has received four nominations across multiple categories, and winning Shipyard of the Year is a strong endorsement of our strategy in 2015. It has been a very challenging year, but our response to those challenges to ensure maximum customer satisfaction has been effective.”

The panel of independent judges debated the winners in a private closed-door session to determine the overall winners. ASRY’s winning entry outlined the yard’s credentials, including the fact that the yard has maintained its position as region’s shipyard of choice, as evidenced by its highest ever number of annual dockings of 193 in 2014 despite market depression, combined with excellent safety record and customer satisfaction scores.

The gala event took place in Dubai at the Armani Hotel with leaders from the regional maritime industry attending. This recent accolade is ASRY’s third victory in the Shipyard of the Year award category, which it also won in 2013 and 2011. ASRY’s growing portfolio of awards success now includes dozens of victories in categories, including Shipyard Of The Year, Safety, Corporate Social Responsibility, and more.