Abu Dhabi: General cargo moving through Abu Dhabi’s commercial ports increased by 37 per cent this year, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC).
ADPC’s commercial ports (Musaffah, Khalifa, and Zayed Ports) handled 6.4 million freight tonnes (FT) of general cargo in the first half of this year, compared to 4.7 million FT in the first half of 2013.
“These figures show a strong first half of 2014, and indicate a promising six months ahead. The volume of cargo moving through our ports is on the up. We expect that we will handle more than 12 million FT by the end of this year, compared to 9.5 million FT handled last year,” said Captain Mohammed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO at ADPC.
The increased volume is attributed to Abu Dhabi’s ongoing economic growth, as well as ADPC’s work with key customers to maximise their supply chain efficiencies. Such customers include Emirates Aluminium (Emal), Emirates Steel, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), and Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec).
Key infrastructure projects
Another reason behind the growing import and export activities at the ports is the progress of several key infrastructure projects, which are requiring increased import and export volumes.
These include the midfield terminal at Abu Dhabi Airports, along with the upcoming Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Museum, and various projects in the Western Region.
To support such projects, ADPC is enhancing its capacity for general and bulk cargo at Abu Dhabi Ports, with a special focus on Zayed Port. In March, ADPC announced a Dh20 million investment in maintenance work at Zayed Port and the Free Ports.
