Allow us to first perceive what ports are earlier than shifting on to the highest main ports in UAE.
A seaport is a nautical facility with a number of wharves the place ships, together with freight and passengers, can load and discharge cargo and passengers. It’s often discovered on the seashore or in an estuary, nonetheless, some well-known ports are discovered inland, with entry to the ocean via a river or canal.
The United Arab Emirates has spent a lot on infrastructure, leading to refined ports and airports, making the nation a seaport centre. The UAE’s strategic location, in addition to its historical past as a buying and selling centre and its abundance of hydrocarbon assets, have all contributed to the nation’s rise as a buying and selling vacation spot. They’ve change into a world centre of marine commerce because of their ongoing progress and improvement.
The United Arab Emirates, which borders Oman and Saudi Arabia, has emerged as a beacon of progress and commerce within the Arabian Peninsula. To the west and north, it shares marine seas with Qatar and Iran. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Umm al Quwain are the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates. The nation is positioned on the northern facet of the Strait of Hormuz, making it a significant transit and commerce level for seaborne containers.
Dubai is a coastal metropolis with a number of small and large seaports that stretches alongside the Arabian Gulf’s coasts. These maritime ports are important to town’s continued success as a flourishing financial centre. They assist within the strengthening of commerce and transportation, in addition to the import and export of cargo for a wide range of sectors. Moreover, Dubai’s seaports help worldwide travellers in shortening their journey.
Dubai is likely one of the world’s most populous and dynamic financial centres. Jebel Ali Port, Mina Rashid Port Dubai, and Al Hamriya Port Dubai are the three main transport ports in Dubai. All three ports on the Dubai seaport checklist have giant cargo operations and contribute to the area’s financial system.
The ports on this checklist are organised by the Emirate to which they belong. The Arabic phrase “Mina” implies “port” or “harbour.” The vast majority of ports are additionally known as Mina – earlier than their names. Port Khalifa in Abu Dhabi, for instance, is also called Mina Khalifa.
Top Ports in UAE
Sl. No. | Port Identify | Location |
---|---|---|
1. | Port Khalifa (AEKHL) | Abu Dhabi |
2. | Mina Zayed Port (AEMZD) | Abu Dhabi |
3. | Musaffah Port (AEAMF) | Abu Dhabi |
4. | Port Jebel Ali (AEJEA) | Dubai |
5. | Mina Rashid (AEDXB) | Dubai |
6. | Mina Al Hamriyah (AEHAM) | Dubai |
7. | Port of Fujairah (AEFJR) | Fujairah |
8. | Mina Saqr Port – Ras Al Khaimah (AEMSA) | Ras al Khaimah |
9. | Mina Khalid Port (AEKHL) | Sharjah |
10. | Khor Fakkan (AEKLF) | Sharjah |
1) Port Khalifa
Port Khalifa- Abu Dhabi. Pic courtesy: adports.ae
The Khalifa Port is Abu Dhabi Ports’ flagship deepwater port, designed to accommodate the world’s largest ships on the time of building. This port with cutting-edge know-how and newest services is Abu Dhabi gateway that handles all the Emirate’s container visitors. In December 2012, the switch of container cargo visitors from Zayed Port to Khalifa Port was accomplished.
The capability of Khalifa Port in Section 1 is 2.5 million TEUs and 12 million tonnes of common cargo per yr, with a capability of 15 million TEUs and 35 million tonnes of common cargo deliberate by 2030. The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, formally inaugurated Abu Dhabi Ports’ Khalifa Port on December 12, 2012, after a three-month transition of container operations from Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Port.
Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT), a three way partnership between Abu Dhabi Ports, Mubadala, and Mubadala Infrastructure Companions, manages and operates the container terminal at Khalifa Port. ADT and Abu Dhabi Ports introduced a 30-year concession settlement to handle and function the Khalifa Port Container Terminal till 2042.
Abu Dhabi Terminals, which beforehand operated Zayed Port and the Freeport in Musaffah, was based in 2006 because the operator of all ports within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Khalifa Port Container Terminal has elevated Abu Dhabi’s container commerce and now connects Abu Dhabi to 62 direct worldwide locations beneath Abu Dhabi Terminals’ management.
Abu Dhabi Terminals dealt with 32% extra containers in 2015. The terminal dealt with 1,504,293 TEUs (twenty-foot equal items/containers) in 2015, up from 1,137,679 TEUs the earlier yr. In the primary half of 2016, Abu Dhabi Terminals quantity at Khalifa Port elevated by 11%, reclaiming the title of the fastest-growing container terminal within the Center East space as most ports reported flat or adverse progress.
Regardless of important efforts to transition away from petrochemical dependence, megaprojects resembling Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Port have been criticised as non-strategic self-importance initiatives of the ruling tribal monarchies – an oft-repeated instance in a well-documented sample of duplication, redundancy, and waste throughout the UAE’s infrastructure framework.
Since its opening in 2012, Khalifa Port has been comparatively calm, owing to its proximity to Dubai’s Port of Jebel Ali, the world’s ninth busiest port, the most important man-made harbour, and the most important and busiest port within the Center East. Regardless of the port’s 2.5 million TEU capability and a aim of 15 million TEU, throughput at Khalifa Port stays stubbornly low at roughly 1.5 million TEU.
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2) Mina Zayed Port

Mina Zayed Port – Abu Dhabi. Pic courtesy: adports.ae
Mina Zayed is a deep-water business port in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, owned by Abu Dhabi Ports. Zayed Port, which opened in 1968, is positioned within the northeastern a part of Abu Dhabi. It was named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the earlier President of the United Arab Emirates, and was formally inaugurated and absolutely functioning in 1972. In 2012, the container visitors from Zayed Port was transferred to the newly constructed US$7.2 billion Khalifa Port container port.
Zayed Port is 535 hectares in dimension, with 21 berths various in depth from 6 to fifteen metres and a complete berth size of 4,375 metres. Town’s Zayed Port stays the gateway for common cargo vessels, RORO (roll-on/roll-off), and is rising as a vacation spot for worldwide luxurious cruise ship tourism; the close by Free Port caters to smaller vessels, tugs, barges, and repair crafts; Musaffah Port is positioned within the coronary heart of the economic township of Musaffah, and the brand new state-of-the-art Musaffah Port is positioned within the coronary heart of the economic township of Musaffah.
The port method channel is dredged to a depth of 15 metres and extends about 5 miles NW of the island (2001). A subsidiary fairway dug to an 11-meter depth, connects the principle channel simply contained in the breakwaters and continues to the southeast, resulting in an offshore provide station inside Khawr al Bighal. On the intersection of the 2 canals, the principle fairway swings sharply south and results in Mina Zayed.
Aside from a spur at its NW finish, which has been dredged to a depth of 6m, Mina Zayed has been dredged to a depth of 15m (2001). (2001). There are 21 berths for the container, cement, grain, and bulk cargo dealing with. Ro-ro vessels med-moor to the break-bulk berths to work cargo, whereas tankers are accommodated close to the SE finish of the port. When berthing, vessels with a draught of greater than 11m should think about the tide.
In response to studies from 2003, the port will construct a further container terminal with a size of 650 metres and a depth of 17 metres alongside, which can have the ability to accommodate two container ships.
3) Musaffah Port

Musaffah Port – Abu Dhabi. Pic courtesy: adports.ae
The deep-water exploration Musaffah Port is the second-oldest port within the emirate of Abu Dhabi, behind Zayed Port, and one of many busiest on the planet. The port, which is positioned within the Musaffah Industrial Space, is thought for housing the 53-kilometre Musaffah Channel, the area’s second-longest channel after the Suez Canal.
Musaffah Port is a common cargo terminal with a wide range of companies, together with break-bulk and RoRo operations. The port permits cargo operations and gives warehouses for a wide range of industrial and business sectors, together with metal, dredging, shipbuilding, and offshore building, to increase its companies.
The port additionally homes the cutting-edge Abu Dhabi Ports Maritime Coaching Centre, which gives internationally recognised coaching for the following era of maritime professionals. The port and channel service the Musaffah Industrial Space in addition to the ICAD I, II, and III industrial zones. Steelworks, shipyards, rig building, offshore building and provide, dredging, transport, and building companies are among the many giant business and industrial firms that occupy the waterfront.
Following a interval of native restoration and infrastructure enhancements within the Nineteen Nineties, enthusiasm in increasing Abu Dhabi’s neighbouring township of Mussafah into an industrial centre grew. The Abu Dhabi Seaports Authority introduced a Dh2.4 billion improvement plan for Mussafah in 1996, which included the development of a brand new port. Many medium-rise buildings had been proposed in 1998, largely for workplaces, and an area police station was constructed.
A variety of purchasers makes use of the port facility for cargo operations and warehousing. The airport and Musaffah are linked by a brand new 280-meter tunnel. The Musaffah Channel is a man-made channel stuffed with large, bladed gypsum crystals. “Pleistocene reworked dune deposits, unconformably overlain by Holocene carbonates and sabkha evaporated,” based on the Musaffah Channel’s japanese financial institution.
The inside parts of the waterway are about 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) inland from the place the present lagoon is positioned. The port features a principal quay that’s 342 metres (1,122 ft) lengthy and two facet quays which are 40 metres (130 ft) lengthy, with a complete floor of 37,500 sq. metres (404,000 sq ft). The port has a draught of 11 metres (36 ft) and is linked to the brand new Musaffah Waterway (a 53-kilometre (33-mile) lengthy channel dug 9 metres (30 ft) beneath the datum).
4) Port Jebel Ali

Port Jebel Ali – Dubai . Pic courtesy: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/threads/dubai-constructions-update-by-imre-part-8.524138/page-11
Jebel Ali Port Dubai, DP World’s flagship seaport within the UAE Area, is likely one of the world’s largest seaports. This port’s enhanced sea, air, and land accessibility is one in every of its most interesting facets, making it a most popular port for sectors that require large-scale logistic networks.
Jebel Ali Port, operated by DP World, is the Center East’s largest gateway hub. It connects the japanese and western markets of North Africa, South Asia, and the Center East. Jebel Ali is likely one of the prime ten container ports on the planet, with a capability of 19.3 million TEU (20-foot equal items). It has been rated the best seaport within the Center East for twenty-four years due to its multi-modular services.
Jebel Ali Port features a warehouse that specialises in freight consolidation and deconsolidation. Outdoors Gate 2 on the port, the Container Freight Station homes commodities and merchandise that have to be despatched to numerous exporters and importers in or close to the Gulf area. CFS has a complete space for storing of 134,343 sq. metres, with 11,900 sq. metres coated and 122,443 sq. metres uncovered.
The chilly storage services at Jebel Ali Port are wonderful for storing commodities that require explicit cooling circumstances. They’ve a storage capability of 9665 sq. metres and should preserve sweets, cigarettes, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical merchandise. The Jebel Ali Port additionally handles and shops varied sorts of items and shipments, together with bulk, breakbulk, and RoRo shipments. The Gulf, Indian Subcontinent, and African markets are all served via the Jebel Ali Port. The character of the cargo imported and exported displays the variety of the area and the markets equipped by Jebel Ali Port.
Outdoors of the USA, the port at Jebel Ali has change into probably the most commonly visited by US Navy ships. A Nimitz-class plane provider and a number of other ships from the accompanying battle group may be housed pier-side because of the depth of the harbour and the extent of the port services. Due to the frequent port visits, semi-permanent liberty services (dubbed “The Sandbox” by army personnel) have been constructed adjoining to the provider berth.
5) Mina Rashid

Mina Port Rashid – Dubai. Pic courtesy: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=452440&web page=15
Mina Port Rashid, named after His Highness Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, is a contemporary, multi-purpose port in Dubai that serves each passenger and freight ships. It is likely one of the most interesting locations for merchants and vacationers alike, having opened in 1972. It’s near Dubai Maritime Metropolis and Dubai Drydocks World.
Mina Rashid Port, which covers an space of two million sq. metres and might accommodate seven mega-cruise ships with a capability of over 25,000 folks, has a capability of seven mega-cruise ships. It’s the solely port within the UAE to have obtained the coveted International Maritime Safety (IMS) Safety Certificates of Excellence, in addition to ISO-9002 accreditation.
In polls performed by the World Journey Awards, Mina Rashid Port has been chosen probably the most distinguished luxurious port within the Center East for the final eight years.
Mina Rashid Port is dwelling to the Dubai Cruise Terminal, one of many world’s largest cruise ports. The terminal can maintain as much as 25,000 passengers at a time and consists of 5 completely different terminals with completely different baggage processing areas and sizes. Cunard, Hapag-Lloyd, and Holland-America Line are among the many cruise traces which have used the Dubai Cruise Terminal. Mina Rashid is the epitome of glamour and glamour. Luxurious houses, gleaming white boats, sun-kissed seashores, and gorgeous boat events are the norm on this bustling seaside city.
Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum is the total title of the port, which opened in 1972. The port had solely two gantry cranes and a capability of lower than 100,000 TEUs on the time. The port was enlarged in 1978 to supply 35 berths (5 of which had been ready for use by the most important container ships on the time). The port now has 9 gantry cranes and a capability of 1,500,000 TEUs, at a depth of 13 metres (43 ft).
Mina Rashid now has berths accessible for odd cargo, RoRo, and passenger ships. Mina Rashid was augmented within the early Nineteen Eighties by the Port of Jebel Ali, which is positioned farther from Dubai’s business centre close to the Abu Dhabi border.
Dubai Drydocks and Dubai Maritime Metropolis are positioned subsequent to the port. Due to Mina Rashid’s neighborhood, each of those services had been created. Nevertheless, in January 2008, the port was introduced to be renovated. By the top of March 2018, all cargo actions will probably be moved to Jebel Ali Port. Mina Rashid will probably be reworked right into a cruise port. Nakheel will even reclaim a portion of the port to assemble “a full of life mixed-use city waterfront” that can accommodate 200,000 folks.
Top developer Emaar had introduced an unique debut of a brand new mission Sirdhana at Mina Rashid, which gives 1-3 Bed room Residences inside a brand new marine vacation spot of Mina Rashid, together with DP World.
6) Mina Al Hamriyah
Mina Al Hamriya is a standard freight gateway, permitting non-containerized cargo to be transported between Dubai and the Arabian Gulf, East Africa, and India. The port is recognised for its versatility, since it could accommodate a variety of boats, from conventional dhows to breakbulk carriers and RoRo ships. Due to its close to to Dubai’s central enterprise district, the port is a good vacation spot for commodities that profit from town’s neighborhood.
Mina Al Hamriya is a vacation spot terminal for animal imports because it options one of many largest quarantine services within the Center East. Due to its capability to berth 190 fishing vessels directly, it’s also a favoured port for the area’s fishing sector. Given its proximity to Dubai’s used vehicle markets, the port is an interesting centre for used automobile buying and selling.
Al Hamriya Port was developed beneath a Dhs. 20 million (US$ 5.4 million) cope with the Dubai authorities in 1975. This was partially because of a rise in financial exercise in Dubai, which put a pressure on Dubai Creek. The port’s goal was to deal with small fishing boats in addition to sure business ships sure for Dubai.
Mina Al Hamriya, like all different ports within the metropolis, is now managed by Dubai Ports World. The port facilitates commerce between Dubai and nations in South Asia and East Africa. Meals, automobile elements, and cattle make up the vast majority of commerce via the port. Al Hamriya Port is present process enlargement, which can contain a 2.5-kilometre extension of its business quay in two components.
7) Port of Fujairah

Port of Fujairah. Pic courtesy: adports.ae
Beneath the patronage, imaginative and prescient, and assist of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of the Emirate of Fujairah and a Member of the UAE Supreme Council, the Port of Fujairah has developed to change into a important, all-encompassing useful resource for the maritime business.
Strategic investments within the Port’s infrastructure, state-of-the-art services, cutting-edge know-how, and complete assist companies have allowed it to remain forward of ever-changing and more and more numerous commerce and business developments, permitting it to keep up its world-renowned place as a protected, progressive, and extremely environment friendly maritime port.
A flexible port that handles dry and liquid bulk, containers, and mission cargo, in addition to a four-SPM offshore terminal. It is a crucial bunkering depot with a free zone close by. Deep, obstructed-free waters had been used to get there. Ships can anchor as close to as 0.5 nautical miles from the port.
The Port of Fujairah is likely one of the UAE’s most vital ports, with numerous spectacular facilities. The port is also called Fujairah Port or Al Fujairah Port, and it’s the world’s second-largest bunkering hub after Singapore. It’s a multipurpose port ideally positioned on the UAE’s east coast.
Fujairah Port employs folks and contributes to the regional and international financial system via its varied operations. This can be a complete description of the UAE’s marine centre.
Fujairah port is the UAE’s solely maritime facility positioned on the nation’s japanese coast, and this distinctive trait contributes to the port’s strategic significance. The port shares a location that connects east and west maritime routes.
It additionally gives fast entry to the UAE’s highway networks in all the emirates. Between the port and the seven emirates, the gap is between 110 and 300 kilometres. The port can also be linked to different UAE ports, together with these in Dubai, such because the Jebel Ali Port and the Mina Rashid Port. These traits considerably enhance worldwide and regional commerce via the Port of Fujairah.
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8) Mina Saqr Port (Ras Al Khaimah)
Saqr Port is the Center East’s principal bulk-handling port. Saqr Port handles the vast majority of the over 60 million tonnes of cargo dealt with by RAK Ports annually. Its distinctive location on the foot of the Hajar Mountains feeds into Ras Al Khaimah’s increasing quarrying sector, which generates sufficient mixture, cement, and different constructing supplies to service the vast majority of GCC building initiatives. This makes Saqr Port an vital a part of the economic provide chain within the Arabian Peninsula and overseas, supplying provides for large-scale initiatives like Expo 2020 in Dubai.
Saqr Port has a stellar repute for environment friendly cargo processing and fast vessel turnaround. In the final 5 years, import/export actions by way of Saqr Port have doubled, with vessel turnaround occasions additionally doubling in effectivity to deal with the huge enhance in cargo actions — a monument to the Port’s operational competence.
Saqr Port is dedicated to a technique of steady funding within the high quality and modernization of Port infrastructure, in addition to a accountable, long-term enlargement plan that includes the development of extra deep-water berths able to accommodating Capesize vessels successfully.
Building provides are the most typical transport via Saqr. Repairs and ship servicing are dealt with at Al Jazeera Port, which is positioned south of the principle RAK facility. It runs dockyards with cutting-edge gear and tools. Marinas that berth pleasure craft, yachts, and private boats can be found close by.
9) Mina Khalid Port
The Port of Khalid, positioned within the coronary heart of Sharjah, is a pioneer seaport within the area, having the area’s first container terminal, roll-on/roll-off cargo terminal, and free commerce terminal. Basic, reefer, and dry, liquid, and bulk commodities are dealt with on the Port of Khalid, which has 21 berths. Two dockside chilly shops, in addition to oil and offshore assist, can be found. The Port of Khalid has been constantly modernising its infrastructure and companies since its inception.
The emirate’s three ports are owned and managed by the Division of Seaports and Customs (the Port of Hamriyah, Khor Fakkan, and Khalid). The Gulftainer Firm Restricted was established in 1976 to run and administer the Sharjah Container Terminal and the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal.
The Port of Khalid has numerous house. It has a public-use chilly storage facility with a capability of 5,000 tonnes, in addition to a personal devoted chilly storage facility with a capability of 3500 tonnes. The Port of Khalid has six warehouses with a complete space of 4600 sq. metres and 5 warehouses with a complete space of 7200 sq. metres.
The North Wharf warehouse is 3600 sq. metres in dimension, with seven sheds totalling 3756 sq. metres. The Port of Khalid additionally has open storage services totalling greater than 220,000 sq. metres.
Mina Khalid Port, together with Hamriyah and Khor Fakkan, is likely one of the UAE’s three finest deep-water harbours and is managed by the Division of Seaports and Customs. Chilly storage, reefer storage zones, bulk cargo, and 33 multi-purpose berths are all accessible on the port. The port of Mina Khalid has in depth cargo storage and has been commonly modernising its services and companies since its building.
Mina Khalid is a multipurpose port that serves as an important entrance level into the United Arab Emirates’ industrial heartland. The port is supplied with offshore and oil assist, in addition to two chilly warehouses on the dockside. The port’s building plan additionally consists of the development of a dhow wharfage facility and a brand new dock throughout the breakwater reclamation.
10) Port of Khor Fakkan
The Port of Khor Fakkan is positioned in Sharjah and is likely one of the world’s largest container transhipment ports. It’s only three hours away from the UAE’s principal hubs, making it an ideal website to commerce cargo from the Arabian Gulf, India, and East Africa. It’s run by the identical people who run Mina Khalid Port, and it gives easy open-sea entry for cargo containers to be dealt with by ship-to-shoe gantry cranes. There’s additionally a pure deep-water harbour waterway that serves as a cruise ship port on the port.
The Khor Fakkan authority is continually searching for methods to enhance employees abilities and the working surroundings with the intention to make the port the very best on the planet. Town of Khor Fakkan has a inhabitants of round 35,000 folks, making it the UAE’s second-largest nation, and it is because of this that the folks favour the port of Khor Fakkan. This port has direct entry to the open sea and might deal with over 1,000 reefer containers directly.
The terminal additionally serves as a significant land hyperlink for native container visitors getting into the UAE. When a container is imported into the UAE via the Khorfakkan Container Terminal, it arrives at a consignee’s warehouse a minimum of 4-5 days prior to if it had been imported via one other UAE container terminal.
It thus gives a significant service to the nation’s importers and exporters who consider within the time worth of cash, aiding them in sustaining a lean and Simply in Time provide chain administration method.
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