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Port
Khalid's
Port Khalid's original depth was
dredged in the early eighties to deal with deeper
draft vessels and today the berth and quay configuration
is designed to accept most types of vessels. The
port handles a wide variety of tonnage ranging
from tankers, container vessels, Ro-Ro ships,
pure car carriers, reefer ships, passenger ships,
heavy lift ships, jack up rigs, bulk carriers
and a multitude of smaller vessels such as coasters,
supply boats, tugs, barges and crew boats. Port
Khalid is one of the easiest ports to enter in
the Gulf with only a short approach channel.
Location plays
an important role in Port Khalid's development
plans for future growth especially as Sharjah
and nearby Dubai have shown such a rapid growth
rate over the past 15 years. Sharjah's industrial
base is one of the largest in the UAE claiming
45% of all UAE based industries. In the past port
traffic for Dubai and Sharjah has been largely
transshipment cargo. As the Emirates gradually
moves away from its dependence on a mineral related
economy to more of trading and industrial based
so the nature of port traffic will also change.
The recent substantial onshore and offshore gas
finds have further prompted Sharjah to invest
in its industrial base with the establishment
of Sharjah Airport Free Zone and the Hamriyah
Free Zone.
Khor Fakkan
Already one of the best container transshipment
hub ports in the world Khorfakkan Container Terminal
(KCT) is gearing up for the next century. Under
a programme directed by His Highness Dr. Sheikh
Sultan Bin Mohammad AI Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah
and its Dependencies, the natural deepwater port
is being massively expanded.
The quay has been
lengthened by 350 metres to give a total length
of 1,000 metres, a dredging programme has increased
the depth alongside to 15 metres and the ship
turning has been enlarged to take the largest
container vessels envisaged.
Khor Fakkan Container
Terminal has a superb geographical position in
the context of today's huge and efficient deepsea
container trades. Located on Sharjah's Indian
Ocean Coast, it is close to the main east-west
shipping lanes and outside the sensitive straits
of Hormuz.
Leading Shipping
Lines, including United Arab Shipping Corp, DSR
Senator, Cho Yang Lines, CMA, NSCSA and Hanjin
have been quick to realise the cost and time savings
they can gain by using Khorfakkan as a hub port
for transshipment traffic in to the Arabian Gulf,
sub Continent and East Africa and effecting container
transfers between their own services.
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