A folk dance performance at the party Abu Dhabi – Jamal al-Mejaida Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first shipment of crude oil to be exported from Abu Dhabi, with an event at the Emirates Palace Hotel on Tuesday. The event was attended by the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company [ADNOC], along with a number of public figures, senior company executives, petroleum industry officials, media personalities and company employees. That initial shipment of crude oil, Abu Dhabi’s first, was exported from Umm Shaif field via Das Island on July 4 1962. The event was a turning point in the history of the United Arab Emirates. ADMA-OPCO CEO Rashid al-Jarwan delivered a speech in which he thanked the “wise leadership of the state,” and everyone who has contributed to the company’s achievements and progress over the years. Al-Jarwan said he was proud of the role played by the company in the local petroleum industry “for the good of this country,” and described the initial shipment as having been “the beginning of a new era” for the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a whole . The CEO listed the challenges facing the company in what he called “a new stage of its development” and expressed his hopes for the continued flourishing of the petroleum and gas industry to “secure the progress, welfare and stability of our societies.” The event features an opera performance based on the company’s history. There were also British, French and Japanese musical and folkloric performances sponsored by shareholder companies, accompanied by an exhibition of rare photographs documenting the history of ADMA-OPCO and Abu Dhabi. A number of former and senior employees as well as representatives of the company’s partners were presented with memorial shields for their support and contribution to the company’s success over the past 50 years. ADMA-OPCO announced plans to collaborate with the UAE Central Bank to mint a memorial Dirham coin, and with the Emirati postal services to issue a collection of memorial stamps.