Jebel Ali Port to get AED 4.2bn expansion

27 January 2003
Dubai Ports Authority (DPA)is to undertake an AED 4,200 million ($1,144 million) expansion to raise handling capacity to 21.8 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) at Jebel Ali by 2020 from its present 4 million TEUs, executive chairman of Dubai Ports, Customs & Free Zones Corporation, Sultan bin Sulayem, said on 26 January. Reclamation to expand ship-berthing facilities will add about 30 square kilometres to Dubai's shoreline, he said. The project will be implemented in four phases, the first, involving widening and lengthening the channel, began in March 2002 and is 30 per cent complete. When finished, Jebel Ali will have 82 berths equipped with 125 quayside cranes. 'For the past two years we have seen more than 15 per cent annual growth, but we cannot deal with even 1 per cent growth in demand because of our current capacity limitations,' Sulayem said. Jebel Ali rather than Port Rashid was chosen for expansion because there was no room for any further growth at the latter. The expansion will be financed from DPA's own funds and bank borrowing, not through the issue of bonds, he said.

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