
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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