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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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