Subsea works, underwater UXO clearance and hyperbaric operations.
SEMTEC, the subsea subsidiary of DEMINETEC Group, brings underwater inspection, marine UXO clearance and hyperbaric works expertise to the port and industrial community of Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Our Class II commercial divers — certified under French Decree 2011-45 (hyperbaric class B) and trained to NEDEX/EOD standards — operate on harbours, marine structures, ships' hulls and coastal areas contaminated by 20th-century conflicts.
Dubai itself has been spared direct large-scale combat, but the wider Gulf region carries a significant pyrotechnic legacy from the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War tanker war, the 1990-1991 Gulf War coalition operations staged through UAE ports, and decades of regional naval mining incidents. The Strait of Hormuz and Gulf seabed have hosted multiple mine-laying and mine-clearance episodes, including operations involving French Navy assets.
As a hub for offshore oil and gas, deep-sea construction, port expansion (Jebel Ali, Mina Rashid), reclamation (Palm Jumeirah, Deira Islands, The World) and major infrastructure (Dubai Metro Blue Line, Etihad Rail), Dubai routinely commissions underwater UXO surveys and route surveys for pipelines and cables. Historical aerial bombs, naval mines and abandoned ordnance from regional conflicts can still be encountered.
International contractors operating in Dubai increasingly apply European and French pyrotechnic standards, including the Decree 2005-1325 framework, to satisfy IFC Performance Standard 4, lender requirements and corporate HSE policies for offshore and onshore developments.
In-water survey by qualified divers, ultrasonic thickness through paint, 3D photogrammetry, IACS-class survey report for calls at Dubai.
Magnetometer and gradiometer survey, target identification, controlled neutralisation or recovery in coordination with local authorities.
Wet welding, oxy-arc cutting, underwater concreting, sheet-pile and quay repair.
Refloating of sunken vessels, recovery of submerged plant, crane-assisted lifting operations.
On-site recompression chamber deployment, compliant with French Decree 2011-45 and IMCA D guidance.
In the strategic port of Dubai, SEMTEC mobilises divers, observation ROVs and marine magnetometers to secure basins, jetties, approach channels and anchorages where 20th-century munitions still routinely lie on the seabed.
SEMTEC operates in Dubai and across United Arab Emirates from our French bases at La Seyne-sur-Mer (Var) and Wancourt (Pas-de-Calais), our Belgian office in Bruges and our Ukrainian site in Kyiv. Diving spread and naval logistics are mobilised on demand.
Depending on United Arab Emirates's history, port seabeds typically conceal sea mines (German EMC, British Mark XVII), submerged aerial bombs (250 kg–500 kg), torpedoes, large-calibre naval shells and depth charges. The preliminary EHT pinpoints the expected typology for Dubai.
Our Class II hyperbaric-class-B divers work to 50 m on air, and we coordinate longer-duration tasks down to 90 m through saturation partners. Observation ROVs extend reconnaissance to 300 m.
A standard UWILD/IWS on a commercial vessel takes 8–24 dive hours depending on hull length, complexity, coating condition and class requirements. SEMTEC issues the class report within 5 days.
Decree 2011-45 governs hyperbaric work in France. Internationally, SEMTEC uses it as a benchmark alongside IMCA D standards and the local regulations applicable in United Arab Emirates.
Port of Jebel Ali, also known as Mina Jebel Ali, is a deep-sea port in Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, located 35 km southwest of Dubai in the Persian Gulf. It was constructed in the late 1970s to supplement Port Rashid and opened on 26 February 1979. DP World operates the port, which is managed by state-owned Dubai Ports World. The port has 67 berths, covers 134.68 square kilometres and contains more than one million square metres of container yard.
Its facilities include medium- and long-term general cargo storage, seven Dutch barns totalling almost 19,000 square metres, 12 covered sheds covering 90.5 square metres and 960,000 square metres of open storage. The port is connected to Dubai’s expressway system and the Dubai International Airport Cargo Village, allowing four-hour ship-to-aircraft transit. Expansion includes 2.4 km of new berths, container yards and supporting infrastructure on reclaimed land extending seaward from the existing port. The harbour can accommodate a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and accompanying ships pier-side.
Jebel Ali is a deep-sea port situated in the Persian Gulf, with harbour depth and port facilities sufficient to accommodate a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and several accompanying ships pier-side. It is frequently visited by United States Navy vessels, and semi-permanent liberty facilities have been installed adjacent to the carrier berth. The site also includes extensive container and open-storage areas, 67 berths and reclaimed land extending seaward from the existing port. These conditions place underwater works alongside large-scale maritime operations, carrier berthing activity, military vessel movements and structures built on reclaimed ground.
The Port of Jebel Ali is located in Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 35 km southwest of Dubai in the Persian Gulf. Its stated coordinates are 25°00′41″N 55°03′40″E, or 25.01126°N 55.06116°E. Its UN/LOCODE is AEJEA.
The port is operated by DP World. The port is also described as being managed by state-owned Dubai Ports World. It was constructed under the efforts of Rashid bin Saeed Al-Maktoum and opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 26 February 1979.
Jebel Ali contains more than one million square metres of container yard, space for medium- and long-term general cargo storage, seven Dutch barns totalling almost 19,000 square metres, 12 covered sheds covering 90.5 square metres and 960,000 square metres of open storage. Its Cargo Village enables four-hour transit from ship to aircraft.
Reference : Wikipédia — Jebel Ali Port
For any survey, inspection or subsea intervention in Dubai, contact our teams:
Tel: +33 (0)9 52 51 00 63
Email: contact@semtec-france.com
Read also: underwater UXO clearance · commercial diving services · offshore subsea works.