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The Port of Fujairah is one of the best
seaports in the Middle East and the
No. 4 in the Gulf in container handling.
According to the latest statistics,
the port rated No. 67 globally in container
handling.
Construction
of the port started in 1978 in order
to cope with the economic development
in the Emirate. It was completed in
1980, but actual operation of the port
commenced in 1983.
The
port lies outside the Strait of Hormuz,
overlooking the Arabian Sea which is
famous for its deep waters. In view
of that, waters outside the port are
as deep as 17 metres, an advantage which
makes it possible for visiting ships
to anchor as close as half nautical
mile to the port. The water surrounding
the port are free from natural obstructions
such as coral reefs and rocks.
The
strategic position of the port, which
is regarded as the Eastern Gate of the
UAE as well as its location midway between
the East and West, helped to attract
many international shipping firms. The
proximity of the seaport to the Fujairah
International Airport was a positive
factor for the rise in transhipment
operations.
In
addition to that the Fujairah Port,
on the threshold of the 21st century,
is undergoing dramatic expansions. Apart
from rising the length of its wharfs
to 1,400 metres, work is in progress
to set up new wharfs for refilling purposes
as Fujairah has now become an important
bunkering depot in the region. The development
plan also involves raising the warehousing
capacity to half a million sq.meters
within the next five years in order
to cope with expected rise in the volume
of handled containers.
Phase
one of the computerisation programme
is completed as all Departments are
now linked by a computer network. Computerisation
helped saving time and improving efficiency,
particularly in container handling.
The next phase of the computerisation
programme is scheduled to be completed
within the next two years which will
result in better performance and higher
productivity.
The
port is provided with modem equipment
of high technology to accommodate the
increasing size and number of containers.
Six gantry cranes have already been
installed to serve the wharves, in addition
to the other advanced cranes at the
containers yard.
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