Sharjah-based logistics operator Gulftainer has accelerated its USD 2 billion investment programme at Khor Fakkan Port after the US-Iran conflict triggered an extraordinary surge in container traffic, with weekly volumes leaping from around 8,000 containers before the crisis to 65,000 – an eightfold increase.
The port's position on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, made it a critical alternative gateway as shipping lines rerouted cargo to avoid the conflict zone, with Gulftainer estimating it handled 80–90% of UAE container demand during the disruption. Truck movements rose from approximately 100 to 8,500 per day, with capacity being expanded to 12,000 daily.
The investment will lift the commercial terminal's annual capacity from 3.5 million TEUs to 5 million within three months, with a three-year masterplan targeting more than 10 million TEUs.
Gulftainer is simultaneously building the Gulf's largest inland logistics network, developing the Al Dhaid and Sajaa logistics parks in Sharjah, launching GT Maritime shipping services linking Asia to the UAE, and signing an agreement to connect Khor Fakkan to the Etihad Rail network.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer