Gulftainer’s UAE Terminal Ranked No. 1 Port in EMEA

Sharjah, UAE– January 15, 2014: Gulftainer, the world’s largest privately-owned independent port management and logistics company, based in Sharjah, UAE, increased its market dominance in 2013 by serving and controlling one-fifth of total containerised trade in the GCC region. The significant milestone was achieved as a result of streamlined operations and commercial efforts supported by high productivity, quick turnaround time and efficient customer support.

This achievement is further underscored in a global port productivity report recently published by the Journal of Commerce in the USA, which ranks Gulftainer’s Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) as the top performing port facility in Europe, Middle East and Africa region. The report ranks leading ports based on a set of strict criteria and measurement principles and looked at 63,500 ship calls at major ports around the world. KCT was also recognised as one of the top three productive port operations globally.

Badr Jafar, CEO of Gulftainer’s parent company Crescent Enterprises and Vice-Chairman of Gulftainer, commented: “There is no doubt about the significant trade opportunities that the ports and logistics sector in the region has to offer, which is why over the next ten years we expect these trade routes to continue to thrive exponentially, especially as the UAE prepares to host global events.”

Commenting on Khorfakkan’s efficiency, Jorn Hinge, President and CEO at United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) said: “In our system, Khorfakkan is the most efficient port we have anywhere. The facilities are well-equipped and is one of the few ports in the region that can accommodate vessels of any size, further proving a productivity ranking that is well-deserved and reflects Gulftainer’s expertise and understanding of its clients’ business.”

Building on this momentum, Gulftainer is now increasing the capabilities of its global portfolio to handle up to and in excess of 18 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) by 2020, expecting to achieve this vision through investments in new terminal assets, equipment, manpower and technology.

Gulftainer’s Managing Director, Peter Richards, said: “At Gulftainer, we prioritise efficiency and cost effectiveness in our operations across all ports, and as an outcome we have witnessed a consistent growth over the past decade, averaging more than 12 per cent compared to global market growth of 8.6 per cent in the same period. One of our main objectives by 2020 is to handle more than 10,000 vessel calls each year.”

Established in the UAE over 37 years ago, Gulftainer recently unveiled a new vision and identity as one of the most competitive and recognisable terminal operators in the World. The vision reflects the company’s expanding footprint into new international markets and focuses on a spirit of partnership, strength and reliability, three of Gulftainer’s core business pillars. To mark this occasion and to celebrate Gulftainer’s achievements over the last four decades, a gala dinner was held at the Armani Hotel in Dubai with over 300 members of the company’s partners and colleagues.

The company’s portfolio today, covers four UAE operations in Khorfakkan, Sharjah, Hamriyah and Ruwais, as well as activities in Iraq at Umm Qasr, Recife in Brazil, Tripoli Port in Lebanon and its recent acquisition in Saudi Arabia, managing container terminals in Jeddah and Jubail.