Fujairah Travel Tips-Fujairah Guide Reviews, Activities

The Port of Fujairah is one of the best seaports in the Middle East and the No. 4 in the Gulf in container handling. According to the latest statistics, the port rated No. 67 globally in container handling.

Construction of the port started in 1978 in order to cope with the economic development in the Emirate. It was completed in 1980, but actual operation of the port commenced in 1983.

The port lies outside the Strait of Hormuz, overlooking the Arabian Sea which is famous for its deep waters. In view of that, waters outside the port are as deep as 17 metres, an advantage which makes it possible for visiting ships to anchor as close as half nautical mile to the port. The water surrounding the port are free from natural obstructions such as coral reefs and rocks.

The strategic position of the port, which is regarded as the Eastern Gate of the UAE as well as its location midway between the East and West, helped to attract many international shipping firms. The proximity of the seaport to the Fujairah International Airport was a positive factor for the rise in transhipment operations.

In addition to that the Fujairah Port, on the threshold of the 21st century, is undergoing dramatic expansions. Apart from rising the length of its wharfs to 1,400 metres, work is in progress to set up new wharfs for refilling purposes as Fujairah has now become an important bunkering depot in the region. The development plan also involves raising the warehousing capacity to half a million sq.meters within the next five years in order to cope with expected rise in the volume of handled containers.

Phase one of the computerisation programme is completed as all Departments are now linked by a computer network. Computerisation helped saving time and improving efficiency, particularly in container handling. The next phase of the computerisation programme is scheduled to be completed within the next two years which will result in better performance and higher productivity.

The port is provided with modem equipment of high technology to accommodate the increasing size and number of containers. Six gantry cranes have already been installed to serve the wharves, in addition to the other advanced cranes at the containers yard.