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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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