The Sultanate of Oman Orders Two Multi-Purpose High Speed Ferries

Oman sets a new standard for Middle East ferry transport

The Sultanate of Oman and Austal today signed a contract for two 65 metre, 50 knot, multi-purpose passenger-vehicle catamaran ferries following a competitive international tender process.

The identical aluminium vessels, scheduled for delivery in 2007 and early 2008, have the capacity to carry 203 passengers and 56 cars or 54 lane metres of trucks plus 40 cars. The ferries are to provide a new tourism service to Oman’s ruggedly spectacular northern coastline and will be the flagship vessels in the Sultanate’s expanded marine transport and security network.

Speaking on behalf of the Sultanate, H.E. Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki, Minister of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council, commented:

“Our requirement for these new ferries to meet the highest safety and passenger comfort standards with very high speeds, created a challenging tender requirement. We are pleased to confirm Austal’s involvement in this important project aimed at furthering Oman’s growing reputation as a premier international tourist destination.”

In thanking the Minister, Austal’s Executive Chairman, John Rothwell responded:

“These two state of the art passenger and vehicle high speed vessels reflect Austal’s focus on tailoring marine transportation solutions to the operator’s individual needs.”

“With fifteen vessels now operating in the Middle East, and ten in nearby Turkey, this prestigious contract further cements Austal’s commitment to, and understanding of, the unique needs of the region.”

The Sultanate of Oman is situated on the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula. The coastline extends 1,700 km from the Strait of Hormuz in the north, to the borders of the Republic of Yemen in the south and overlooks three seas namely, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The scenic Musandam Peninsula forms the country's northern tip, and is the intended destination for the two Austal Auto Express ferries.

Optimised to cover the 180 nautical mile journey at speeds of up to 50 knots, each ferry is to be powered by four MTU 20 cylinder 1163 series diesel engines driving a Rolls Royce / KaMeWa waterjet propulsion system. Austal Sales Manager, Bill Hicks said this powerful propulsion package was selected to achieve the strict performance targets with special consideration for the local operating conditions.

“Oman’s approach to this contract from the outset has set a high standard not only in terms of performance but equally so with regard to safety, comfort and quality of finish. We have developed an exciting new design with many innovative features complying with the highest international standards for passenger ferries and tailored to local Oman conditions,” he said.

Passenger accommodation features high quality seating and catering facilities all located on a single deck with additional seakeeping comfort provided by a SeaState Motion Control System.

Onboard features also include a helicopter landing facility that has been incorporated into the design to allow for emergency operations, as may be required, by the Police Coast Guard.

The vessel is being built in accordance with the requirements and under the survey of Det Norske Veritas, conforming to the International Maritime Organisation High Speed Craft code (HSC 2000).

PRINCIPAL PARTICULARS:

Also under construction at Austal are:

• 2 x 105 metre, catamaran high speed vehicle-passenger ferries for Hawaii Superferry
• 2 x 88 metre, high speed catamaran vehicle-passenger ferries for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
• 1 x 127 metre, trimaran high speed Littoral Combat Ship for the US Navy
• 8 x 57 metre, monohull Armidale Class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (6 already delivered)
• 57 metre, monohull private cruise vessel
• 38 metre, monohull private cruise vessel, nearing final handover
• 6 x 16 metre, monohull coastal patrol boats for the New South Wales, Australia, Water Police, nearing final handover.

To download a high-resolution rendering to accompany this news release, please go to the media section of the Austal website at: http://www.austal.com/go/news-and-images/media-access