Abu Dhabi Ports announces expansion of Khalifa Port is on track

Abu Dhabi Ports said on Saturday that plans for its Khalifa Port expansion are on track.

The expansion, which was announced in December 2019, has to date resulted in 200 metres of quay wall and nearly 175,000 square metres of land within Khalifa Port Logistics (KPL) handed over ahead of the project’s full phase one completion slated for Q1 2021.

Progress has also been made on the first phase of Khalifa Port’s South Quay development that is scheduled for completion by Q4 2020, the company said in a statement.

With 80 per cent of construction already complete, a total of 650 metres of quay wall, containing two berths alongside 37,000 square metres terminal yard is now available in advance of receiving its first shipment.

At the Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT), delivery of five new ship-to-shore cranes have also been completed. Each unit has a lifting capacity of 90 tonnes, which will boost capacity at the terminal significantly and have put Khalifa Port Container Terminal on track to meet its target of 5 million TEUs by the end of 2020.

The addition of land plots with adjacent quay wall and deep-water access at Khalifa Port provides a host of new customer opportunities, particularly for industrial producers requiring prime land plots in proximity to Khalifa Port Industrial Zone (KIZAD) and cargo owners that wish to import, export and trans-ship with global markets via Khalifa Port’s multimodal touchpoints.

“Our ports are not only gateways to the Gulf, but also convenient departure points to markets around the world, connecting east and west. The multimodal connections between Abu Dhabi and global markets through land, sea, air, and future rail channels have elevated the emirate’s status as a leading trade and logistics hub in the Middle East,” said Saif Al Mazrouei, head of Ports Cluster, Abu Dhabi Ports.

“We are confident that the ongoing expansion of Khalifa Port will significantly enhance our operational and cargo handling capabilities. Thanks to the strategic direction and guidance of the government of Abu Dhabi, our emirate is ensured to experience increased direct foreign investment and growth of non-oil GDP,” he added.

The expansion which is expected to substantially increase handling volumes by providing additional deep-water access and better infrastructure is already benefitting business. Arabian Chemical Terminals (ACT) recently signed a 50-year agreement to establish the first commercial bulk liquid and gas storage terminal at Khalifa Port that will be located on a plot with a 16-metre direct deep-water quay access within the newly developed KPL.