Abu Dhabi is cementing its position as a regional trade and travel hub.

The emirate’s international airport and ports reported significant increases in passenger and cargo traffic in 2012. It is forecasting continued growth as 2013 progresses.

Abu Dhabi International airport is witnessing a rise in passener numbers as more travellers use the facility as an alternative transit point to other airports in the region. Much of this traffic is being driven by the ambitions of Abu Dhabi’s flagship carrier Etihad Airways.

In the ports sector, the opening of the deep-water Khalifa port in Taweelah helped increase shipping traffic in and out of the emirate, boosting Abu Dhabi’s export and import volumes. The port, which has a capacity of 2.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), officially opened in September 2012.

In 2012, 14.7 million passengers used Abu Dhabi International airport, an increase of 19 per cent, compared with 2011.

The airport still lags behind its neighbour Dubai International, which saw 57.7 million passengers use the airport in 2012. However, Abu Dhabi’s passenger traffic is growing at a faster pace than the 13 per cent year-on-year growth seen in Dubai.

Etihad Airways’ ambitious expansion plans will continue to fuel passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International.

The airline carried 10 million passengers in 2012, a big leap from the 2.8 million passengers it carried in 2006. It also posted record profits of $42m in 2012, an increase of 200 per cent on the previous year.

Through a combination of codeshare agreements and equity investments in airlines such as in Air Berlin and Virgin Australia last year, Etihad Airways has successfully expanded its network and brought more passengers onto its network and through Abu Dhabi’s airport.  

With the construction of the new Midfield Terminal scheduled to be completed within the next four years, the airport will have the capacity to meet rising demand.

In terms of Abu Dhabi’s position as a trade hub, Khalifa port has already helped drive increased cargo and container throughput in and out of Abu Dhabi.

All of Abu Dhabi ports, including Khalifa port, witnessed a 2.5 per cent increase in container handling, up from 767,713 TEUs in 2011 to 787,048 TEUs in 2012. General bulk and cargo traffic also rose, increasing by just over nine per cent last year.

The rising volume of shipping traffic reflect the emirate’s drive to boost its exports, diversify its economy away from oil and gas industries, as well as position itself as a major trade and shipping hub in the Middle East.

Khalifa port will play a major role in supporting Abu Dhabi-based companies boost their exports and imports. Adjacent to the port lies the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad), planned to become one of the largest industrial zones in the world. Khalifa Port and Kizad form part of Abu Dhabi’s plan to attract companies such as Emirates Aluminium, which was one of the first companies to set up at the industrial zone.