With an eye on strengthening its position as the leading trade and logistics hub in the Gulf region, the UAE has fast-tracked the expansion of Khalifa Port Logistics, South Quay, and Abu Dhabi Terminals.
Even though there are economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Abu Dhabi Ports is committed to completing all the projects before the end of this year. Its work on 200 meters of quay wall and 17.5 hectares of land in the first phase of the Khalifa Port Logistics project has already been completed well before the expected completion date, which was the first quarter of 2021. It has also already completed the first phase of South Quay last year, with around 175,000 sqm of land and 800 m of quay wall within KPL being handed over.
Furthermore, Khalifa Port Container Terminal has met its target of 5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) at the end of 2020, thanks to the delivery of five new ship-to-shore cranes that have a lifting capacity of 90 tonnes each. The new cranes have significantly boosted capacity at the terminal.
“We are confident that the expansion of Khalifa Port will significantly enhance our operational and cargo-handling capabilities, and further strengthen our position as a leading trade and logistics hub in the Middle East,” said Saif Al Mazrouei, Head of Ports Cluster at Abu Dhabi Ports.
The addition of land plots with adjacent quay wall and deep-water access at Khalifa Port is set to benefit industrial producers eying prime plots in proximity to the Khalifa Port Industrial Zone (KIZAD) and cargo owners that wish to import, export, and tranship with global markets via the hub’s multimodal touchpoints.
In addition, Arabian Chemical Terminals recently signed a 50-year agreement to establish the first commercial bulk liquid and gas storage terminal at Khalifa Port that will be located on a plot with direct deep-water quay access of 16 meters within the newly developed Khalifa Ports Logistics area.
The UAE’s increased focus on ports is the result of its diversification efforts to boost foreign investment, generate employment, and promote trade. The UAE was the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in West Asia from 2018 to 2019. The country attracted about $14 billion in investment last year, up from $10.3 billion in 2018, according to the World Investment Report 2020.
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