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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. |
