His Excellency, Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment & Water, has inaugurated the maritime workshop in Umm Al Quwain which is considered as the first maritime workshop that offers maintenance and reparation for local fishing boats owned by UAE nationals and licensed by the ministry, on Sunday, August 12th, 2012.

   The workshop will serve approximately 474 fishing boats where 450 boat engines operate by petrol and 24 boat engines operate by diesel. The workshop will offer many services such as maintenance and reparation of maritime engines of fishing boats owned by UAE national fishermen registered at the ministry, technical advisory for boat owners, installation of maritime engines and cranes on board fishing boats, and providing guidance for fishermen on the correct and safe ways to increase the operational life of the fishing boat engine. The importance of maritime workshops does not only lie in providing logistic services for fishermen such as fishing boats maintenance and reparation, but also in communicating with the fishermen and having direct contact with them which shall lead to more cooperation, counseling and create an understanding of their problems.