Columbia Shipmanagement Expands in Saudi Offshore Sector

Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) has made a major expansion into the Saudi offshore oil and gas market, securing service commitments with six separate Saudi Arabian offshore vessel owners. 

Its CSM Saudi Arabia division has reached business agreements with Saudi operators Hadi Hamad Al-Hammam, ATCO, BGMS, BAAS, High Seas and Naghi Marine for services covering over 100 offshore assets. 

“We are proud that CSM Saudi Arabia is an Arab company, run by, and with, our Arab colleagues, for our Arab partners and international clients and wholly committed to the region long-term," said Mark O'Neil, Group CEO and President of Columbia Shipmanagement. "We have demonstrated our long-term commitment to the Kingdom, our total belief and support for Vision 2030, and the top quality of our vessel management services to our valued partner Saudi Aramco."

CSM Saudi Arabia is setting up a performance control room in Al Khobar dedicated to monitoring the offshore vessels that serve Saudi Aramco and other clients in the region, and it is implementing a management model featuring "smart" sensors to optimize vessel performance. According to George Vassiliades, the managing director of CSM Gulf Region, the Al Khobar facility will be the largest control room of its kind in the world. 
 
“The frontrunners have led the way, which is commendable, and the door is open to all. We are totally confident that we have a vessel management model which can be tailored to every operator within the Kingdom and the Gulf Region," said Vassiliades.