We carry out hydraulic repair, troubleshooting and load testing across Dubai, from drydock packages at Dubai Maritime City and Drydocks World to port and free zone work at Jebel Ali, yacht work at Dubai Harbour and industrial repairs in Al Quoz. Our Sharjah workshop sits next to Dubai, so components can move between a Dubai site and our bench as part of the same plan.
Why Dubai work is different
Dubai has the UAE’s biggest concentration of ship repair. Large commercial vessels come in for drydock and conversion work, so the hydraulic jobs here tend to be full docking packages: steering gear, deck cranes, hatch covers, winches and load tests, all against a fixed undocking date. Add the world-scale container port at Jebel Ali, the cruise and yacht trade, and a large industrial base, and Dubai gives us the widest range of equipment of any emirate.
Where we work in Dubai
Dubai Maritime City. Ship repair yards, marine workshops and vessel operators on the peninsula next to Port Rashid. Typical work: docking specifications for tugs, supply vessels, tankers and bulk carriers, steering gear overhauls, crane cylinder reseals and re-hosing.
Drydocks World. The large repair and conversion yard handles big tankers, offshore units and conversions. We work as a hydraulic and lifting subcontractor on owner’s specification items and growth work, with tests witnessed by class. See shipyards and drydocks.
Port Rashid (Mina Rashid). Cruise terminal and marina operations. Typical work: passenger gangway and boarding bridge hydraulics, ship-side equipment on cruise and passenger vessels, and port craft.
Jebel Ali Port and JAFZA. Container ships and general cargo vessels calling at Jebel Ali bring crane, hatch cover and steering defects that must be cleared during a short call. Behind the port, the free zone has hundreds of logistics and manufacturing companies with forklifts, dock levellers, presses and power packs. Port and free zone access always needs passes arranged in advance.
Dubai Harbour and the marinas. Superyachts and motor yachts: passerelles, swim platforms, tender cranes, garage doors, stabilisers and steering. See yachts.
Al Quoz, Dubai Investments Park and the industrial areas. Factories, fabrication shops and crane and plant hire yards. Typical work: crane and excavator cylinders, pump and motor repair, press hydraulics, power packs.
Dubai Creek. Traditional dhows and smaller craft, with steering and winch hydraulics on the motorised fleet.
How work is organised in Dubai
- Drydock work is planned with the yard’s project manager: survey, line-by-line quotes, workshop and on-board work in parallel, tests before undocking.
- Port calls at Jebel Ali and Port Rashid are arranged with the ship’s agent, who books gate passes. We attend with tools and likely spares and take components to the workshop if the stay allows.
- Yacht work is coordinated with the captain and the marina office for access and working hours.
- Industrial and plant work is either brought to our workshop or done on site, usually during a planned stop.
- Load tests with our water bags and calibrated load cells up to 150 t, on the quay, in the yard or in a factory.
Same day or next day attendance is typical for planned work once access is arranged. Cylinder reseals typically take 3 to 7 working days after strip-down, longer if a rod needs re-chroming.
Equipment we see most in Dubai
| Equipment | Typical work | Service |
|---|---|---|
| Steering gear on docking ships | Overhaul, seal renewal, tests | Steering gear service |
| Ship deck cranes | Cylinder and motor overhaul, load test | Crane hydraulics |
| Hatch covers and ramps | Cylinders, power packs | Hatch covers and ramps |
| Mooring winches and windlasses | Motor overhaul, brake tests | Mooring winches and windlasses |
| Passenger gangways and accommodation ladders | Hydraulics and load tests | Accommodation ladders and gangways |
| Yacht systems | Cylinders, power packs | Hydraulic power units |
| Plant and crane hire | Cylinders, pumps, motors | Pumps and motors |
Compliance in Dubai
Ship work is driven by class and flag, with SOLAS requirements for steering gear, davits and lifesaving appliances, and port state control inspections at Dubai’s ports. Yard work is witnessed by the owner’s superintendent and class surveyor. Our tests are regularly witnessed by class surveyors from DNV, Bureau Veritas, Lloyd’s Register and ABS. Onshore, crane hire and construction sites usually need a third-party inspection certificate after major repairs, and we provide the load test data the inspector needs.
What to send from Dubai
- Vessel name and berth or yard, or the site address area (for example JAFZA South or Al Quoz).
- Equipment, nameplate photographs and a description of the fault.
- For docking work, the hydraulic and lifting lines of the specification and the docking dates.
- Access arrangements: agent details for port calls, marina office for yachts, gate passes for free zones.
We usually quote within one working day of receiving photos and nameplate data. We focus on overhauls, load tests and planned work rather than single-hose call-outs; for a single hose, a local hose shop in Dubai will be quicker.
