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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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