AAL Shipping expands Super B-Class vessel fleet

AAL Shipping (AAL) has officially named its fifth Super B-Class vessel, the AAL Dubai, in a ceremony held on 12 March at the CSSC Huangpu-Wenchong Shipyard in Guangzhou, China.

This milestone celebrates both AAL’s 30th anniversary and its continued commitment to innovation in global project shipping.

The 32,000 dwt AAL Dubai, a state-of-the-art, methanol-ready multipurpose heavy lift vessel, is designed to transport diverse cargo, including heavy lift project equipment, breakbulk, and dry bulk. With a combined lifting capacity of 700 tonnes, it delivers superior efficiency, flexibility, and economies of scale.

Named after Dubai, a key project cargo hub where AAL has maintained a regional office since 2015, this event follows the Breakbulk Middle East exhibition, where industry leaders discussed the region’s expanding infrastructure and energy projects.

“The Middle East market is going from strength to strength for the project sector, last year enjoying unprecedented levels of capital expenditure across all industries,” stated Liew Teck Liong, Chief Financial Officer at AAL.

“In 2024 alone, a record-breaking US$264 billion worth of contracts were awarded – a 6.5% increase from the previous year. Naming one of our new Super B-Class vessels after Dubai underscores our dedication to the region, aligning with both the 10th anniversary of our Dubai office and the 30th anniversary of the company.”

The AAL Dubai now joins sister vessels AAL Limassol, AAL Hamburg, AAL Houston, and AAL Antwerp on global project cargo routes across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.

“We are now over the halfway mark with our Super B-Class deliveries, and those already in service are exceeding our expectations,” added Liew. “With these vessels, we have achieved both company and industry firsts, and we look forward to redefining what a heavy lift, multipurpose vessel can accomplish as we deploy them for complex cargo challenges.”

Later this year, AAL will welcome the AAL Dammam, followed by the AAL Newcastle and AAL Mumbai, both featuring an increased maximum heavy lift capacity of 800 tonnes.

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