Both Sharjah and Khorfakkan container terminals, which are managed by Gulftainer Company, have witnessed bigger freight volumes and an expansion in services.

The company is also in the process of improving and expanding facilities at both ports.
Business at Gulftainer’s Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT) continues to expand rapidly and the company is determined to ensure that SCT’s reputation for fast and efficient working is not compromised, said commercial manager Keith Nuttal.
“Therefore whilst further studies are carried out for more ship-to-shore gantry cranes – which have lengthy delivery lead times  – an interim solution has been devised,   which involves provision of an LHM 400 mobile harbour crane with a maximum 104-tonne lifting capacity plus an option on a second unit,”
The   MHC will allow more flexibility in working the increasing numbers of ships calling at SCT. With its outreach and ability to handle the heaviest containers plus rapid twin-lift capacity, the new crane will provide valuable extra working options to supplement the existing STS cranes.
In 2004, SCT registered traffic of 184,189 teu, a 21.5 per cent increase over the previous year, which itself had improved volume by 20.81 per cent.
Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) registered handling of 1.11 million teu, up 25.6 per cent over the previous year, which was itself up 14.4 per cent over 2002.
The first phase of the multi-million-dollar development of KCT, providing increased capabilities to handle over 3 million teu per annum, is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2005.
Phase One will allow KCT to receive and productively handle the largest container vessels afloat.  Phase One’s introduction of a new 400 m berth, with 16 m depth of water, equipped with four, state-of-the-art, super-post-Panamax gantries will be backed up by a fleet of the latest ultra-modern rubber-tyred gantries and a fully comprehensive multi-trailer system (MTS) to operate the carousel within the terminal.
Also in the pipeline is the extension (Phase II) of the current KCT expansion by another 400 metres of quay plus four to six post-Panamax gantries.
Both Sharjah and Khorfakkan terminals witnessed an expansion in services in 2004 and first-half 2005.
At KCT new routes were introduced by lines serving East Africa and South Asia, as well as new services to Iran and the Upper Gulf. An additional service direct from the Far East to KCT was also introduced by UASC in 2004.
At SCT there has been a remarkable expansion of services with APL (and soon) Maersk introducing direct routes from the Far East. Additionally, new services have begun to Umm Qasr and South Asia (Mumbai).
“All these changes reflect the growing realisation not only that the Sharjah and Northern Emirates business is substantial and growing but also that routing via Sharjah’s ports can save time and money,” commented Nuttal.
CMA’s ‘FAL Service’ vessels call at KCT and they are the largest to be handled by Gulftainer in the UAE. They are currently 6,500 teu, but these will be upgraded to ships of around 8,200 teu in early 2006.
Some major lines calling at the two ports are CMA, UASC, Hanjin Senator, Maersk Sealand, APL, P&ONL, Evergreen,  Wan Hai, OOCL, PIL, COSCO, Hyundai, Global, Farmus.
Another development was that Sharjah Internal Container Depot (SICD) improved the already speedy and efficient delivery of containers to consignees in Sharjah from Khorfakkan with its purpose-built facilities and on-site customs, health and easy collection arrangements, whilst also minimising the transit of heavy trucks through Sharjah city. Located in the rapidly expanding Sharjah industrial area near the successful Saif Zone, the ICD also offers good, cost-effective storage and delivery options for companies in the area.
Under Phase III, the Internal Container Depot will be expanded by another 50,000 sq m.