Dubai Ports ranked among top 10 container ports of world

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Dubai Ports has been ranked among the top 10 container ports of the world according to the listing released by Dyna Liners, one of the leading newsletters on worldwide liner trade. The ranking, which takes the port to 10th rank, was prepared after a detailed comparison of the port’s container handling throughput with all other major ports. Dubai Ports, which gained one spot this year to displace Antwerp port, also recorded a remarkable 25 per cent growth rate, having handled a throughput of 6.42 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Jamal Majid bin Thaniah, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Ports Authority said, “We were certain to be among the top ten this year considering the quick completion of expansion activities at the Jebel Ali Port. The first stage of this expansion project was completed one year ahead of its scheduled completion end of 2005.”

“Dyna Liners also illustrates Dubai Ports’ impressive 25 per cent growth rate, which is next only to the Shanghai Port and the Shenzhen Port which attained a growth rate of 29 per cent each. This growth rate for Dubai Ports is noteworthy, taking into account that most other ports had a growth rate between 3 and 17 per cent,” added bin Thaniah.

“Dubai Ports has maintained a high growth rate of 23-25 per cent over the last three years. Moreover, with our expansion plans in full swing, we are sure to better our ranking in the coming year, especially considering that our throughput is very close to that of the Los Angeles Port and the Hamburg Port, which are at the 8th and 9th ranks respectively,” concluded bin Thaniah.

In order to meet the increasing demands, DPA recently took delivery of the first four of the 10 mega gantry cranes to be installed at the Jebel Ali container terminal. An additional 14 Rubber Tyred Gantries (RTGs) were also acquired by DPA. The gantries manufactured by ZPMC in China is the largest of their kind in the world and the first of their type to be installed in the Middle East, can lift two 40 foot or four 20 foot containers simultaneously and will be up and running this month. 

The first batch of cranes forms part of the agreement between DPA and ZPMC signed early 2004 to supply 20 gantry cranes and 70 Rubber Tyred Gantries (RTGs). The second batch of 6 gantry cranes will be delivered within the next three months and a further ten will be delivered in the period up to mid 2006.