Abu Dhabi to develop port for leisure, tourism

Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), a master developer and regulator of ports and industrial zones in the emirate, has announced plans to develop a new port project, Shahama which would be mainly used for commercial, leisure and tourism purposes. The Abu Dhabi-based port will develop the Shahama water basin and land site to have both sales and service facilities for small marine craft and envisages a growth in marine and water club activities in the area, once the first phase is completed in 2014, said a statement from ADPC. While the global economic impact of 2008 had some effect on leisure boat buying in the last five years, there are signs that the very high-end and small leisure boat sectors are seeing healthy and increasing demand once more. However, the middle-range boats still lag in terms of sales, it added. “We see Shahama Port becoming one of the largest one-stop-shops for all leisure boat users in Abu Dhabi,” said Waleed Al Tamimi, the vice president, Project Development, Projects, ADPC, while speaking at a conference to announce the launch of the World Port and Trade Summit 2013 which opens tomorrow. ADPC’s master plan designs show that Shahama Port will be home to facilities and recreational amenities that both support the community and the activities in the port. These include: slipways, boat lifts, ramps, water and electrical connections for boats, services centres, a marina clubhouse, restaurants and cafes, a shopping and retail complex and picnic areas, among others. “The first phase of the project has just got underway and we expect it to be completed in early 2014. When finished, Phase 1 facilities will offer:  100 wet berths for boats up to 55 foot long; 190 dry berth for trailer storage under shades; a large slipway for boats and jet skis; fuelling and retail facilities; two maintenance workshops; and a marina Club House with games room, coffee shops  and other amenities,” explained Al Tamimia. A major attraction for leisure boat users is likely to be its close proximity to attractive islands and sites for leisure boat trips to the likes of: Saadiyat Island (29 km); Ras Ghurab (16 km); Yas Island (6.4 km) and Raha Beach (8 km), said a statement from ADPC.. Shahama Port is located about 4 km off the main Abu Dhabi – Dubai highway, and it has direct access to all the surrounding residential areas, in the vicinity of Shahama, it stated. Public transport links also now support access and traffic to and from Shahama area and port, it added. ADPC owns and manages 11 ports in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, including the new Khalifa Port, Mina Zayed, Mussaffah Port and five ports in the Western Region (Al Gharbia). TradeArabia News