Jebel Ali is the only port outside the Far East to make it into the latest Top 10 list of the world’s largest ports – an achievement DP World Chairman HE Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem credits to Dubai’s visionary leadership in creating the infrastructure and the business environment to drive continuous growth.
The latest container ports’ rankings from Lloyd’s List, Containerisation International (CI) and The Journal of Commerce (JOC), all show DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali port as the ninth largest in the world. Seven of the top 10 are in China, with the other two being Singapore, and Pusan, South Korea.
HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World , said: “ Jebel Ali has consistently maintained its Top Ten ranking since 1997 thanks to Dubai and the UAE’s position as the centre for trade in the region, which our port has supported and driven with constant investment in infrastructure to stay ahead of demand. This success is entirely due to the wise and far sighted vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, who has always been an inspiration for us, positioning Dubai and the UAE as a regional and international leader.
“We remain committed to investing in the infrastructure and capabilities of our facility and our people at Jebel Ali to continue to grow and contribute to the further expansion and development of Dubai and the UAE, in cooperation with our customers, partners and our employees.”
Mohammed Sharaf, Group Chief Executive Officer, DP World, said: “ The distinguished performance by our UAE Region team has helped us maintain our leadership ranking and has made Jebel Ali stand out among its peers. Its excellent performance has allowed Jebel Ali to also maintain the Best Seaport – Middle East title for the 20th year in a row. It is raising the bar again with the forthcoming opening of the new Container Terminal 3 which will be the world’s largest semi-automated facility featuring state-of-the-art remotely controlled cranes.”
Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President & Managing Director DP World, UAE Region , said: “ We continue to advance Jebel Ali infrastructure to maintain this prestigious position and to meet our customers’ rapidly changing needs. In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into a leading smart city, we are working to transform Jebel Ali into one of the smartest ports in the world, bringing the latest technology to our operations and processes and providing a range of services via smartphone mobile applications.”
In 2013, Jebel Ali added 1 million TEU capacity to its Container Terminal 2, and Container Terminal 3 (T3) currently under construction will add an additional 4 million TEU capacity, taking total capacity at Jebel Ali to 19 million TEU in 2015.
T3 is set to be the world’s most advanced maritime terminal, featuring 19 of the largest, most advanced and semi-automated ship to shore (STS) quay cranes and 50 fully automated rail mounted gantry (ARMG) yard cranes, which will be remotely operated from the comfort and safety of a control room.