Civil Defence and ENOC discuss risk and crisis measures for Dubai’s energy infrastructure demands

Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) hosted a high level delegation from the Directorate General of Civil Defence in Dubai, headed by Lt. General Rashid Al Matrooshi and in the presence of Col. Rashid Khalifa Al Buflasa, Director of Director General office and Lt Col Ali Hassan Al Mutawa, Director Operations. 

The delegation, received by H.E Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO, ENOC and senior management, met to discuss integral and critical infrastructure operations in the supply of energy demands in Dubai and identify critical key risks and crisis management measures.

At the meeting, held at ENOC’s headquarters in Dubai, the delegation received an overview of the company’s infrastructure facilities in Dubai and Jebel Ali, as well as the supply of jet fuel to the airport; its commercial and retail sites and its fuel supplies to other government entities. 

ENOC’s EHS senior management presented scenarios of potential fire incidents at Dubai and various Jebel Ali sites. In addition, both delegations reviewed the footage from a joint drill which was recently organized at ENOC’s Terminal at Jebel Ali and discussed key findings; evaluating the preparedness and performance of staff, operations and equipment on site. Both ENOC senior management and Civil Defence Authority (CDA) officials focused on ways and methods to streamline the level of cooperation in handling such emergencies and determine future plans of action.

Lt. General Rashid Al Matrooshi reiterated the CDA’s commitment to enhance best practices and methodologies with strategic partners such as ENOC. He also emphasised ENOC’s role in providing energy to facilitate Dubai’s infrastructural and socioeconomic development and the need to jointly enhance crisis management measures and streamline operations. 

Lt. General Al Matrooshi pointed to the importance of developing best practices with strategic partners across various practices to enhance services for all stakeholders and referred to the need to raise awareness through education and training to achieve both entities’ objectives to protect the lives, assets and national wealth of the UAE during times of emergency.  

The longstanding partnership between the CDA and the EHS team at ENOC has created a solid foundation to identify innovative means to further enhance this collaboration. This includes field training (evacuation training), ENOC employee training and firefighter training (identifying potential risks at storage terminals and the required measures to mitigate risks, and the implementation of emergency response plan). “Our joint collaboration is indicative of the need to protect these critical assets; which apply the highest international safety standards, while sustaining our efforts to offer training programmes for employees within the Group,” added Lt. General Al Matrooshi.

Al Falasi said: “As a wholly-owned government entity, we are aware of the importance of maintaining strong relations with local authorities and the need to continue to support the Emirate’s increasing energy demands to facilitate Dubai’s infrastructural growth and development. Our joint discussions with the Civil Defence have provided an opportunity for us to shed light on emergency response and crisis management measures required to mitigate any potential risks. 

“At ENOC, we take the safety of our employees, customers and larger community very seriously. We will continue working in collaboration with key entities to further enhance and improve our safety measures.”

A tour was conducted by all present of ENOC’s Crisis Management Centre. Both parties discussed the infrastructure development at The Dubai Civil Defence Training Centre in Al Awir and the continuous benefits gained from this project. ENOC’s EHS senior management also elaborated on the development of training courses that focus on industrial fire safety and emergency response, in addition to the future training sessions in collaboration with the Dubai Civil Defence Authority fire fighters. They also briefly discussed the role of ENOC’s operational staff at facilities who act as first line responders in case of an emergency.

In addition, both entities expressed their commitment to jointly work towards reinforcing safety and security in the energy sector in Dubai by improving the emergency response and crisis management processes and ensuring business continuity and the safety of the community as a whole especially with incidents involving hydrocarbons.