Abu Dhabi Ports witnesses 36% volume increase in first 10 months of 2015

The master developer, operator and manager of ports and industrial zones in the Emirate - has seen significant surge in cargo volumes during the first ten months of 2015 compared to the same period last year.

Container volumes increased by 36 per cent at the Khalifa Port Container Terminal, which is operated by Abu Dhabi Terminals. The terminal moved 1,204,993 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units/containers), up from 889,165 TEUs in the same period in 2014. The busiest single month in this year was October, when the Port handled 157,673 TEUs.

Roll-on-roll-off (RORO) traffic saw 29 per cent rise with 110,831 vehicles, up from 85,835 vehicles last year. In 2015, all roll-on-roll-off (RORO) operations were transferred to Khalifa Port from Zayed Port to meet the growing demand from the automotive sector in the UAE. An enhanced yard and terminal facilities opened the door for increased customer services and provided strategic location and flexible capacity. This transition to Khalifa Port contributed to the upswing in volumes. Currently, Khalifa Port offers a capacity of about 350,000 vehicles a year.

In the same period, general and bulk cargo edged up 20 per cent to 12,596,956 million freight tonnes (FT) from 10,469,374 million FT last year.

"Our double digit growth in all three cargo sectors, especially the top performance at our flagship Khalifa Port, has a special significance on the backdrop of a slowdown in the global maritime industry. Our growth is set to continue throughout this year," said Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports.

"This proves the UAE's stable economic condition; despite the new challenges that have re-emerged in the global economy. We accomplished this with the vision and guidance of our wise leadership," he said.

Abu Dhabi Ports' initiatives in investing heavily in upgrading infrastructure, implementing new technologies and in buying new equipment during the past ten months have helped expand operations and continue providing unparalleled service to our clients.

Some of the major investments as part Abu Dhabi Ports' innovation strategy includes the ongoing implementation of Maqta Gateway, a new port community system interlinking all of the relevant parties involved in Abu Dhabi's growing import and export trade business. This will significantly enhance processing times and communication procedures, as well as other investments in equipment and software upgrades, improving the productivity and efficiency of services dedicated to our customers.