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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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