With major plans in place to develop the east coast of the UAE for both industry and tourism, the future for the emirate of Fujairah in general and the port of Fujairah in particular is an expanding one, according to a leading port official.
The government is quite clear in its plans. Part of the coastline centering on the port of Fujairah is designated for industrial development. The remainder to the north, up to the port of Dibba, is earmarked for tourist development with several major hotel projects already underway.
"The well-recognised strategic position of the port and its anchorage, combined with the commercial and industrial development of the emirate of Fujairah bodes well for the future," says John Mitttelstein, marketing manager of Fujairah Port.
Unlike many ports, Fujairah has the enviable advantage of having available land to cope with expansion and further demand. Facilities at the port are already being added, under a phased development programme. Dredging to 15 metres at the port entrance and within the port basin was completed in the middle of last year. Construction of an additional 600 metres of quay, giving a total of 1.5 km of straight quay is underway and due for completion during the second half of 2002. A new bulk loader scheduled for completion at the same time will provide an environmentally friendly boost to productivity in the shipment of the high-quality aggregate exports from the emirate.
Fujairah prides itself on being a multi-purpose port handling containers, bulk and general cargoes, livestock as well as a major supply ship operation and a world-renowned bunkering service.
The port, established in 1982, has experienced sustained and positive growth. Last year the port handled approximately 16.5 million tonnes of freight including some 540,000 TEUs of container traffic, 4 million tonnes of aggregate shipments and 7 million tonnes of bunker fuel. Overall this represented a 36 per cent increase in activity of 1999.
Fujairah anchorage, where many vessels await instructions before entering the Gulf, accommodates between 80 and 90 vessels at any one time. The anchorage is serviced by a number of independent companies operating from the port, including Barwill, Gulf Agencies, Inchcape and Kanoo, who offer a range of services including provisions, ships spares, repairs and crew change. Some 2,500 crewmembers are processed through the port every month.
Fujairah is among the top three bunkering locations in the world, the others being Singapore and Rotterdam. Some 12 million tonnes of bunkers were supplied to vessels at the anchorage last year.
Obviously with the expansion in its facilities, the port is looking to attract more customers.
"A number of container lines have already shown firm interest in the new berths and the port is open to the possibility of dedicated berths," said Mittelstein. "There is a certain inevitability to the advantage of our strategic position outside the Straits of Hormuz. A mother vessel can save at least a day steaming by discharging at Fujairah rather than going into the Gulf, and our proximity to the Indian subcontinent markets is clear to see."
The Fujairah Free Zone has made steady progress since its inception. To date 120 companies operate from there and free-zone officials hope to double that within 12 months. Activity is varied. Manufacturing industries have a strong presence, as do recycling companies. An animal feed manufacturer produces 180,000 tonnes of product per year whilst a fabric manufacturer produces 8,000 yards of fabric a day.
The free zone is expected to attract more knowledge and technology, fresh job opportunities and, through increased overseas investment and commitment, enhanced national security.
One additional project being actively pursued by the port is the development of the port of Dibba to the north of the emirate.
"We have identified Dibba as a potential base for the establishment of a ship-repair facility," explains Mittelstein.
"It enjoys the same strategic advantages as its sister port. Fujairah is close to the main trade lanes and is open for development. No similar facility currently exists on the east coast and we are in close discussion with a number of parties to see how this obvious potential can be realised."
