From passion for diving to strategic player in Blue Economy

When renowned veteran deep sea diver Khamis Mohammed Amran founded Zanzibar Marine and Diving Services Limited about a decade ago, it was like he had peeped into the future and saw the current government’s Blue Economy vision.

Apart from tourism, fisheries and seaweed, diving is an important part of the government of Zanzibar’s Blue Economy drive which President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi is so passionate about.

In fact, diving sub-sector is recognized by the United Nations as one of the only endeavors that enable citizens to actively support the Blue Economy and help to achieve its Sustainable Development Goal 14 ‘Life Below Water’. It is uniquely poised to help address conservation goals and sustainable development.

Looking at the contribution the company has made in complementing the government efforts through its piping services in the oil and gas sector, firefighting structures, cooling systems and water utility, one is tempted to believe that Mr. Amran is civil servant who had access to government development plans or individual politicians’ visions for Zanzibar in particular and Tanzania in general.

When renowned veteran deep sea diver Khamis Mohammed Amran founded Zanzibar Marine and Diving Services Limited about a decade ago, it was like he had peeped into the future and saw the current government’s Blue Economy vision.

Yet, Mr. Amran was just passionate about establishing a soft- landing platform for his diving colleagues. Born and raised in Zanzibar Mr. Amran worked as a lone ranger for 25 years before changing industrial dynamics, modern technological demands and evolving project requirements for more innovation in service delivery made him shift from personal service provision to formation of a legal entity, namely Zanzibar Marine & Diving Services Limited.

Zanzibar Marine & Diving Services Limited is registered with Zanzibar Registration Board (ZRB) as Class 2 Specialized Contractor in Mechanical, Civil and Building construction.

“We handle all stages of construction from conceptualization and materials through construction and commissioning. Our diverse team of professionals is duly commitment to deliver construction projects within schedule and within budget. The client is therefore guaranteed a stress-free operation that ignites long team value creation for all parties involved,” he said.

Today, Amran says what he begrudgingly did out of necessity has turned out to be the best decision he has ever made in his life. Zanzibar Marine & Diving Services Limited has grown to become an equal opportunity employer. “We boast a strong team of over 40 dedicated personnel who brought in three decades of combined hands-on experience,” he says.

Having previously managed a list of individual projects, several colleagues have brought in collective knowledge and individual discipline to support each other’s course. They put their  shared ingenuity and thus forging a  commitment to creating an enduring legacy and that is why they proudly stand out.

Construction of piping systems

As hinted earlier, the company provides specialized piping solutions and flexible technical support for oil pipelines, gas infrastructure, firefighting structures, cooling systems and water utility. “We handle pipeline design through fabrication and installation to commissioning with commitment to safety and professionalism. Our team of mechanical engineers and coded welders works towards value addition and moves with speed to complete any project within time and specified quality parameters,” he says and adding, “Our presence in oil, gas or water project fields complements clients’ requirement for timely support in pipe jointing, maintenance and installation.”

Commercial diving services

Because the company’s activities revolve around water, its personnel have the ability and expertise to handle all projects near water, in water, above water or below water. This informs why it has assembled a strong team of certified divers and qualified trade professionals to offer extensive commercial diving services for marine survey and general underwater inspection, deep sea and subsea construction diving as well as utility and facility maintenance.

“We cover the entire East and Southern African coastal region, offering quality service to ship yards, government facilities and marine contractors,” said Amran and adding, “ “We are equipped with a fleet of specialized marine equipment ready for deployment any time any day.”

General marine services

The company is highly equipped with specialized equipment and qualified personnel to offer flexible construction support for marine projects and in harbors across the East and Southern African coast.

“Our extensive fleet of ocean tugs and barges, complemented by an experienced manpower offers us the flexibility to safely and precisely support and or execute any marine construction project across the expansive shores of Indian Ocean,” he said.

“We have the ability to deploy the best expertise in marine engineering and project management services for dredging services, ocean towing and project operations.”

Salvage and rescue operations

Headquartered in the spice island of Zanzibar, the company operates on the expansive Indian Ocean, offering tailored solutions and helping to solve some of the most complex onshore and offshore challenges.

“Our huge fleet of equipment and a strong family of qualified underwater personnel allows for the flexibility to respond to rescue operations, search and salvage missions across the East African coast and the Southern Africa coastal region covering all islands in the Indian Ocean,” Amrani said.

“We are known for our ability to deploy reinforcements for marine rescue operations within the first call. We work in cooperation with government agencies, private organizations and other stakeholders to locate marine wrecks, conduct inspections and organize recovery within the fastest time possible.”

Technology and innovation

When Mr. Amran stopped offering his personal services and opened a company, he knew that this would require heavy investment in modern equipment in marine and diving to avoid disappointing clients or turning down offers.

“All our speedboats, piping equipment and diving gear are world-class because we know that cheap is not only expensive but also deadly,” he said.

Environmental conservation

Environmental conservation is important for sustainable use of marine resources. This is recognized by the government in its Blue Economy blueprint as well as the United Nations.

It has been emphasized because it contributes to food security and nutrition, climate change, sustainable consumption and production, energy, sustainable cities and human settlements, disaster risk reduction, sustainable agriculture, land desertification, forests, ecosystems and biodiversity and women-empowerment.

“That is why we ensure that everything we do complies with national and international standards of environmental conservation,” Amran said.

In conclusion, Amran said the company prides itself as an entity that is better place to work with the government and other private sector stakeholders to push forward the Blue Economy agenda.

“With our wealth of experience, we are better placed to complement the government’s efforts in sustainably exploring and exploiting our marine resources to create jobs for our people, especially the young and grow the economy, for we are part of it.”

Company contacts:
+255 713 040 226

ZiBi Team