Dubai: DP World's UAE region yesterday said it achieved 19 per cent growth in throughput with the handling of 11 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent container units) at its marine terminals in 2007 compared with the previous year.
Throughput at Dubai's two ports, Jebel Ali and Port Rashid, increased 20 per cent over 2006 to 10.7 million TEUs.
Jebel Ali operations grew by more than 25 per cent as the port handled over 9.9 million TEUs.
Commenting on the impressive growth, Mohammad Al Muallem, senior vice-president and managing director of DP World - UAE, said: "The growth we realised in 2007 was due to a number of factors, the most prominent among them was the increase in trade activity, with a corresponding increase in exports, imports and re-exports. Naturally, this resulted in buoyant growth.
"We have seen continued rapid growth in volumes at Jebel Ali since we first established the facility," he said.
"Our determination to meet our customers' growing needs has driven us to continuously upgrade our infrastructure, increasing the capacity of the terminal yards and supplying them with modern machinery to efficiently handle cargo.
"The opening of the new container terminal (T-2) at DP World Jebel Ali in August last year has contributed to a substantial increase in our handling capacity.
"The terminal is able to provide the regular, efficient services required by the new generation mega-sized vessels, and this is a competitive differentiator for our flagship terminal," he said.
Al Muallem said the ambition to expand and the determination to provide quality services are integral parts of Dubai's overall vision.
DP World - UAE was recently awarded a "Recognised for Excellence" five-star rating by EFQM, the European Foundation for Quality Management, a prominent international body that assesses the performance of companies and their commitment to quality standards.
