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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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