Abu Dhabi’s main container port is currently on 78% of its handling capacity and the next two years will see Abu Dhabi Terminals enhancing its operational readiness through infrastructural development to meet the expected growth of the local and regional industry.
2015 has proven to be another good year for Abu Dhabi Terminals. As the year’s end approaches, it’s forecasted that a total of 1.48 million TEU have been handled at Khalifa Port Container Terminal in 2015, up from 1.14 million TEU in 2014. It is anticipated that 2016 will see moderate growth of 10 percent with the port operator handling 1.62 million TEU containers. By 2020, the first phase of Khalifa Port Container Terminal will be at maximum capacity – 2.5 million TEU containers – and subsequently the second part of the port island will be commissioned, taking the capacity to 5 million TEUs annually.
Martijn van de Linde, Abu Dhabi Terminals’ Chief Executive Officer commented: “Khalifa Port Container Terminal is now firmly on the world map as a key logistics hub which has been achieved through becoming an industry partner for our customers, as well as demonstrating that Khalifa Port offers a cost-effective, fast and reliable alternative to regional ports. We have also significantly developed our network, going from an initial five to a current 50 international destinations.”
“Through collaboration and diversification of our services, Abu Dhabi Terminals maintains its mission to innovate constantly, and continue our growth momentum through to 2020 when the next phase of the port island will be handed over,” he added.
In three years of operation, traffic through Khalifa Port Container Terminal has grown at the fastest pace of any container terminal in the Middle East, experiencing double-digit yearly growth and doubling the volume of containers handled. Abu Dhabi Terminals has made significant investments in a polymer packing plant and 2.3 million sq.ft. of warehousing inside the port, offering value-added supply chain services and increasing speed and reliability for shipping lines and trade customers.