SIMIC

The project aims to deliver a unified digital portal and smart app through which companies can offer and purchase services seamlessly and transparently.

H.E. Eng. Hassan Mohammed Al Mansouri, Under-Secretary of Infrastructure and Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said: "The maritime industry is one of the sectors that relies heavily on traditional methods and personal relationships in conducting business. This makes it difficult to acquire supplies and services required by maritime companies and merchant ships smoothly. This has led us to search for innovative solutions to facilitate business, reduce operational expenses, and avoid wasting time on supply operations."

The project also aims to build a database of maritime companies and commercial vessels operating in the UAE and its waters, using e-commerce to provide supplies and support services at competitive prices including offering discounts, quality incentives, special offers, and competitive privileges.

The project aims to enhance the competitiveness of the UAE national maritime sector and promote the UAE’s position as one of the world's leading maritime hubs. By creating quality packages of privileges and facilities, the project's backers say it will increase the national maritime sector’s attractiveness to foreign investors and bring additional value to maritime companies operating in the UAE and commercial ships that visit its ports.

Blue Pass is one of the transformational projects the UAE Federal Government laid out in its 2022 performance agreements and supports the 'We the UAE 2031' vision's interconnected and technologically advanced infrastructure pillar. The ultimate aim is to make the UAE's blue economy a major pillar of its national economy.

H.E. Eng. Hessa Al Malek, Advisor to the Minister for Maritime Transport and Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said, "The Blue Pass project aims to establish an integrated maritime business community, where everyone can easily provide services and fulfil their requirements through a unified digital portal. The project goes beyond providing a platform for maritime services and supplies, as it also unifies the common needs of companies and ships operating in the sector. This facilitates collective purchasing power and discounts on various support services, such as financing, insurance, training, and port services. The project is expected to reshape the investment environment in the maritime sector in the UAE and the region, creating incentives that attract investors."

Captain Karim El-Najjar, Founder and Director of Marihub said, “The UAE is unique in fostering creativity and it considers innovation a major component within its government processes. The maritime sector receives a great deal of attention from the decision-makers to transform it from a model based on routine transactions into a smart sector. They want it to take advantage of the power of data and information to add value to the industry. The project will take marine services to a new level, creating new rules for buying and selling, exchanging benefits and negotiating for incentives and facilities in the maritime sector. We believe that this model will become a unique success story for the maritime sector in the UAE.”