With August 4, 2025, deadline
Dubai-based Drydocks World, a key shipyard under DP World, has launched a public competition to name a 5,000-tonne floating crane, which is set to become the largest of its kind in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region once completed.
The heavy-lift crane, currently being constructed by China’s Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries, is scheduled to arrive in Dubai in Q2 2026.
The project is part of ongoing efforts to expand the UAE’s maritime infrastructure and industrial capacity, particularly for large-scale offshore and energy-related engineering works.
Before the crane’s name is permanently engraved during the fabrication process, Drydocks World is seeking submissions from UAE residents. The competition invites names that reflect the country’s maritime traditions, technological advancement, and ambitions for future development.
Naming submissions must be in Arabic or English, and participants are required to include a short explanation of the proposed name’s significance. Entries will be reviewed by a panel that includes members of Drydocks World’s leadership team, local cultural experts, and branding professionals.
Organisers have stated that the chosen name should have cross-cultural appeal, represent maritime strength, and reflect the UAE’s identity as a global hub for trade and innovation.
The winner of the competition will receive a signed 2025 McLaren Racing helmet. The prize comes as DP World continues its sponsorship of the Formula 1 team, with the 2025 F1 Championship concluding at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi later this year.
The contest is open until August 4, 2025. All UAE residents are eligible to participate.
The crane, officially known as a floating sheerleg crane, is designed to lift loads of up to 5,000 tonnes at heights of up to 120 metres above sea level. This capacity makes it suitable for moving oversized industrial components, offshore structures, and vessels, aligning with the growing demand for energy infrastructure across the Gulf and Africa.
Once operational, the crane is expected to play a strategic role in projects that require heavy lifting capabilities currently unavailable within the MEA region.
Drydocks World, which has been operating in Dubai since 1979, stated that the crane will enable it to undertake more complex and larger-scale maritime and offshore energy projects than previously possible.
The floating crane’s maximum lift capacity will be equivalent to around 400 double-decker buses or 25 wide-body aircraft. When extended to its full height, the crane will reach approximately 180 metres, the same as the rooftop of the Burj Al Arab, underlining its size and visual impact on Dubai’s maritime skyline.
The naming competition is part of a broader strategy by DP World and Drydocks World to increase public engagement in national industrial projects. The crane, once delivered and operational, is expected to become a long-term asset for the UAE’s maritime sector and a symbol of the country’s growing engineering capabilities.
As regional energy and logistics demands continue to rise, the addition of this crane positions Dubai to meet project needs more effectively across the Gulf, Africa, and Indian Ocean regions.
The initiative comes at a time when Gulf economies are investing heavily in logistics, energy, and maritime infrastructure to increase regional self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on overseas heavy-lift services.
The launch of the crane is viewed as a response to shifting industrial needs in the Middle East and a step toward enhancing the UAE’s competitiveness in the global maritime supply chain.
Drydocks World was established initially in Mina Rashid under the direction of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Over the past four decades, it has become a central part of the UAE’s industrial base, providing maintenance for some of the world’s largest tankers and building advanced marine infrastructure.
Image: Representative image of the 5,000-tonne floating crane, currently under construction by China’s Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries. Credit: DP World
