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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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