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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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