DPI to hold talks with Mina Zayed and Fujairah Port
Dubai Ports International (DPI) is to begin discussions on the management strategy and concession to operate Mina Zayed and Fujairah Port.
Dubai Ports International (DPI) is to begin discussions on the management strategy and concession to operate Mina Zayed and Fujairah Port.
This follows the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Abu Dhabi Seaport Authority and Ports Authority of Fujairah.
Mohammad Sharaf, managing director of DPI, told Gulf News last night, "We will now begin developing joint strategies for both ports which could later result in a possible management contract or concession for the port operation and development.
"We expect the negotiations and formulation of joint strategies to be completed in months."
DPI could, in effect, be managing about 80 per cent of the UAE's ports, he said.
The latest MoU with Fujairah Port was signed by Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, executive chairman of the Ports Customs and Free Zone Corp (PCFC), and Shaikh Saleh Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, chairman of the Ports Authority of Fujairah.
"DPI will provide all the required assistance and expertise to Fujairah Port, which is one of the key strategic ports on the Arabian Sea. It will help Fujairah Port improve its competitiveness at regional and international levels," said Bin Sulayem.
Shaikh Saleh said, "By entering into this agreement, we will be better equipped to handle larger volumes of container traffic and optimise the utilisation of our resources to handle all kinds of containers, general goods, loose shipment and oil, making it a complete multi-utility port catering to the requirements of our local and international customers."
The Abu Dhabi Seaport Authority is responsible for all port activities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi including Mina Zayed, Umm Al Nar and Al Musaffah port facilities. DPI, the overseas management arm of PCFC, operates a number of ports including Jeddah Islamic port, Djibouti port, Rajiv Gandhi and Visakhapatnam ports in Cochin, India, and Constantza port in Romania.
It has become the sixth largest port operator in the world after acquiring nine terminals and 24 berths, with a combined capacity of 14.6 million 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) from CSX World Terminals for $1.4 billion (Dh5.14 billion) last month.
