Ahmed is an ideas man. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he came up with a way to protect pilots from infection by driving incoming ships remotely, allowing his team to virtually board foreign ships rather than encounter new people in person, which would have put his colleagues at risk.

Here, he reveals what other inspiring things he’s been up to:

“My current job title is Marine Pilot and ISPO DP, a combination of two roles – which makes me a little different from the rest of our pilotage team here in the UAE. What I do for a living is a childhood dream come true.

“The marine pilot aspect of my role involves berthing and unberthing vessels for P&OML at ports throughout the region using tugboats and performing supervisory functions to ensure smooth operations and effective handling of vessels within a port’s limits.

“The most challenging elements of this role are the always changing situations we face on every move, as we’re affected by weather, ship type, ship size and the traffic. Handling lots of different types of ships is what excites me the most, though. This can include everything from large container ships 400 metres in length, to tankers and naval ships. Each one has its own characteristics which I love to learn about.

“The other part of my dual role involves maintaining the Maritime Pilot Organisation’s Safety and Quality Management System for UAE ports for the purpose of ISPO Certification. In short, I coordinate all training-related activities for UAE marine pilots to enhance their skills and safety.

“The dual nature of my role came about during the COVID-19 pandemic. I utilised my time during lockdown to write the first ever Arabic book about Marine Pilotage called ‘Marine Pilotage – The Arabic Book’, which was published last year.

“I was inspired to write this because of the shortage of pilots in general – but especially in our region. To be a pilot, you need to go through very specific training, which varies depending on the local requirements of each organisation.

“With my book, I hope to offer Arab people an easy introduction to the field of pilotage and make it an easier career to access. My work on this book was recognised by P&OML management and earned me the IPSO DP title of training officer.

“My ideas didn’t stop there, however. I am a big fan of technology and I believe change is good. One of the key challenges we face as marine pilots is the time wasted setting up our equipment, exchanging information, and generally getting going on the bridge.

“To address these issues, I worked with my colleagues from DP World and P&OML’s IT teams, to create an app which would automate these processes for us.

“Our “Pilot assist app JAPS” provides pilots with essential information for safe pilotage, suggesting safe routes, showing real-time traffic and weather updates, and electronically filling and signing all the documents required before the act of pilotage can commence as per port regulations.

“It's currently at the prototype stage and was introduced to the pilotage team for testing, who have given it positive reviews so far. Once fully operational, we see this app reducing our preparation time by at least 20 minutes and removing the need for paperwork entirely – a huge money-saving and environmental bonus.

“As you can tell, P&OML and DP World are proving themselves to be forward-thinking employers. I am lucky enough in my role to bring my ideas to life and improve ways of working for the business. Also, we are recruiting more female pilots than ever before across the business, which is exciting to see. However, my vision is that we'll see more young mariners from the UAE and Arab countries joining our ranks and that we’ll drive more investment into education worldwide to inspire future cadets. I hope to play a key role in this journey.

“I am so grateful to DP World and P&OML for giving me the chance to serve in this unique organisation and motivating all of us to bring out the good in others, making our company the best in the world. Thank you."