Image: Monjasa

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Bunker firm Monjasa says that over the last two years it has seen a "steep increase" in its supply volume to cruise ships in Dubai and the Persian Gulf region.

Explaining the reason for the rise, Monjasa said this week that it was "partly because the cruise lines increasingly appreciate the well-documented quality and origin of our supplied oil products in this politically volatile region".

Additionally, vessel statistics show that the number of cruise ships docking at Dubai has nearly doubled over the last few years from 87 in 2009 to 157 in the 2016-2017 winter season.

Since establishing its Dubai office back in 2006, the company has developed into a leading bunker supplier in the area. In Jebel Ali, located approximately 35 kilometres south-west of Dubai, Monjasa claims to deliver more than 50 percent of all the fuel supplied there.

"To us, this is also an acknowledgement from the Dubai authorities that Monjasa holds the kind of quality performance the Emirate is looking for," the company says.

All Monjasa-operated tanker vessels operating in the Persian Gulf are said to follow the strict quality guidelines set out by the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA).

Addionally, Monjasa claims to be the only bunker firm in Dubai with an in-house compliance department, which it considers to be "a prerequisite in this politically volatile region" rather than a luxury.

Monjasa also offers extended maritime agency services in the UAE for owners, charterers, and operators every day of the year. "A strong network of local contacts and personal service has earned us this opportunity of adding further value to our customers," Monjasa says.

As previously documented by Bunker Index, Monjasa has been investing in compliance and ISO certified quality management systems for several years and has also been vocal in calling for compliance and sanctions policies in the bunker industry.

Last year, Monjasa confirmed that it had obtained the ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management) and OHSAS 18001:2008 (Occupational Health and Safety Management) certifications, describing itself at the time as "the most comprehensive certified quality management and compliance set-up in the global bunker industry".