DP World achieves 19% growth in container throughput in 2005

Dubai: DP World's UAE operations handled 7.62 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent container units) in 2005, a 19 per cent increase over 2004.

DP World ranks as the world's seventh largest container terminal operator by throughput.

Its flagship facilities at Port Rashid and Jebel Ali in Dubai combined rank ninth.

"The past 12 months have been marked by extraordinary excitement, expansion and change for DP World and that looks set to continue," said Mohammad Sharaf, chief executive officer of DP World.

"We have quickened the pace of expansion with the aim of making sure we are where our customers need us to be.

"This is the approach we are continuing to take as we grow beyond our home borders," he said in a statement.

DP World was created in 2005 by integrating Dubai Ports Authority (DPA) and DPI Terminals.

The port operator continued its expansion last year by adding terminals in Yemen, Turkey, the UAE, India and China. It hopes to increase its current capacity of 20 million TEUs to an estimated 42 million over the next five years.

"DP World-UAE continues to be at the forefront in implementing new technologies, and has further enhanced security at its terminals," said Mohammad Al Muallem, senior vice-president and managing director of DP World-UAE.

In 2005, DP World joined the Container Security Initiative, which saw US Customs officers stationed on its terminals.