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The region's continuing prosperity
is mainly due to its massive oil reserves
, with Abu Dhabi possessing 95% of the U.A.E.'s
resources. About 2.4 million barrels are
pumped every day and experts predict that
the Emirate - the world's 10th largest oil
producer - has reserves for the next 200
years.
Abu Dhabi
also controls the largest share of the U.A.E's
gas reserves, with an increasing amount
of natural gas being processed for export.
A huge investment programme is underway
to upgrade both oil refineries and gas processing
systems especially on Das Island, from which
liquefied natural gas is exported.
Historically,
the Emirate owes much of its wealth to pearls
from the Gulf, so it was fitting that the
sea also yielded the U.A.E's next precious
commodity -"Black Gold".
Abu Dhabi continues to go from strength
to strength, with the ever increasing number
of sky-scrapers dominating the city's stunning
skyline acting as testimony to its success.
Traders
and businessmen in the Abu Dhabi Emirate
had seen difficult days before the construction
of Port Zayed. Finding it impossible to
enter the shallow waters of the Abu Dhabi
beach, the cargo ships used to dock about
8km away from the coast and unload their
shipments on barges and small dhows which
then transported the cargo to the beach.
This was
a labourious and costly job for the importers,
exporters and the shipowners due to the
high cost of loading and unloading and the
long periods that ships had to stay out
in the sea, particularly when bad weather
delayed the arrival of barges, and due to
slow handling process.
The history
of Mina Zayed (or Port Zayed) is the history
of the UAE Federation. The construction
of this Port started in 1968 in fulfillment
of the directives of His Highness Sh. Zayed
Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, in his capacity as
ruler of Abu Dhabi Emirate at that time.
However, the Port was officially inaugurated
by His Highness Sh. Zayed in 1972 in his
capacity as the President of the UAE.
Port Zayed
as the main gate of the Abu Dhabi Emirate
to the outside world extends valuable services
to a wide range of private and public sectors
including the shipping lines, shipping agents,
importers, businessmen and other port users.
The unique
location of the Port with its great potential
allows it to play a major role in the Gulf
region and the Middle East. The total area
of the Seaport is 510 hectares in addition
to 1000 square meters being the area of
the Free Port. Port Zayed has presently
21 berths with individual depths varying
between 9.5 and 15 meters, allowing the
arrival of all types of commercial trans-ocean
ships. |
