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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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