Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — Khalifa Port, the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region’s first semi-automated container terminal, will begin operations on September 1, 2012. The port will anchor multi-modal logistics capabilities at the new Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) and is set to accommodate 2.5 million TEUs (twenty foot-equivalent units) initially, with the ability to expand up to 5 million TEUs in the short-term. According to the Abu Dhabi Ports Company’s master plan, Khalifa Port is projected to support an annual capacity of 15 million TEUs and be able to handle an additional 35 million tons of general cargo by 2030.
In preparation for the Septemer 1st launch, Khalifa Port safely welcomed its first container ship during a test run on July 18th of this year. On August 12th, Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), Khalifa Port’s master developer and regulator, and Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT), the port’s operating and management company, hosted a seminar for logistics companies and agencies who will use the port for multimodal transportation purposes.
Following the seminar, Captain Mohamed Al Shamisi, Executive Vice President of ADPC, explained, “Khalifa Port…will not only handle the existing Abu Dhabi container business, but also serve Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), and offer the industrial zone’s tenants unprecedented access to global markets.”
Martijn Van de Linde, CEO of ADT, praised Khalifa Port’s potential following the seminar and spoke to Abu Dhabi’s ambition to “redefine the regional ports industry with the opening of the semi-automated Khalifa Port Container Terminal.”
Khalifa Port, a flagship component of KIZAD, is set to support incoming shipments from around the world, boost trade and logistics, and help to realize goals outlined in Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030 plan.
For more information about Khalifa Port, visit http://adpc.ae/en/article/ports/khalifa-port.html.
For recent media reports, visit:
“Khalifa Port readies for full opening 1st September, 2012” – Khalifa Port Press Release
“Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Port sets its ‘art’ into motion”- The National
“Khalifa Port on track to open on September 1st”- ADPC Press Release
“Mohamed bin Zayed reviews Khalifa Port and Kizad progress” – Khaleej Times/WAM
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About Abu Dhabi Ports Company
Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) is a master developer and regulator of ports and industrial zones.
ADPC’s core objective is to facilitate the diversification of Abu Dhabi’s economy by acting as an enabler for development and trade. It will achieve this by managing commercial ports throughout the Emirate, supporting partners with their infrastructure projects and setting up new companies and joint ventures with partners who service and operate in the ports and industrial zones sector.
ADPC was created in 2006 as part of the restructuring of the commercial ports sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and given control and regulatory enforcement power over all commercial ports assets previously owned by the Abu Dhabi Seaports Authority. ADPC strives to be at the forefront of progress in industrial logistics and infrastructure and is currently focused on creating one of the world’s largest concentrations of industry at Kizad.
About Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad)
ADPC, the parent company of Khalifa Port and Kizad, will launch the first phase of the megaproject currently under construction in Taweelah, on September 1st.
It consists of both Khalifa Port and the adjacent Kizad (Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi). The first phase of the project, which will in time grow in planned subsequent stages to become two-thirds the size of Singapore, has cost AED26.6 billion (USD 7.2 billion).
Kizad will become one of the world’s largest industrial zones, and Khalifa Port will stand out as the only port in the Middle East and North Africa equipped with a semi-automated container yard operated by an integrated digital system, which is designed to cater for the future needs of the transportation sector and industrial sectors in the emirate.
The port covers 9 square kilometers, including the 2.7 square kilometer offshore port island. It is the only semi-automated sea port in the Middle East and is expected to become a highly competitive, leading global port, making a vital contribution to the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.
About Abu Dhabi Terminals
Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT) manages and operates Abu Dhabi’s three main ports: Mina Zayed, the current main gateway for cargo in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi; the Free Port that caters for smaller vessels, tugs and barges; and Musaffah Port located in the heart of the industrial area. With the inauguration of the Khalifa Port Container Terminal on 1st September 2012, the first semi-automated port in the region, ADT will redefine the regional port industry and further increase Abu Dhabi’s role as a key hub for international trade.
ADT offers world-class port infrastructure services, operational excellence, customer-driven solutions and direct access to one of the fastest growing markets in the world through a diversified portfolio of services, which includes: a dedicated container terminal, a container freight station, warehousing, cold store and a general cargo terminal.
