Strategically located on the eastern seaboard of the United Arab Emirates, approximately 70 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz, Fujairah is a key shipping hub for the UAE as well as the wider region. The Port of Fujairah is, therefore, an essential economic link between east and west, expanding the opportunities for local and international trade to the markets of the Indian subcontinent and North East Africa.
Initial construction of the Port started in 1978, as part of the economic development of the UAE, with full operations commencing in 1983. Since then, the Port has embarked on a continuing process of enhancement, developing its container services, general cargo and dry and wet bulk facilities, to be able to offer an efficient and comprehensive range of services. Starting with 370m quay length, today in 2024, total quay length at Port of Fujairah’s is more than 9.5 Km.
Under the patronage, vision and support of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, the Fujairah Oil Industrial Zone (FOIZ) and the Port of Fujairah have developed to become the Middle East’s largest commercial storage capacity for refined and crude oil. The Port’s sophisticated infrastructure assists Gulf and international NOCs, IOCs and global oil traders to expand their commercial footprints, both locally and internationally. Fujairah also hosts the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP), which is a strategically important facility that allows Abu Dhabi to export its premium crude oil directly to the Arabian Sea via the Emirate of Fujairah.
Oil storage in Fujairah, which started with a storage capacity of 550,000 cbm in 1994 and has since grown to almost 18 million cbm. Bunkering within the territorial waters of Fujairah has grown from a modest bunkering Port to become one of the top three bunkering hubs in the world.
Fujairah Oil Tanker Terminals (FOTT) is the UAE’s premier hub location for bunkering and oil trading activities. It was designed specifically for the safe and efficient handling of the high volume of crude oil and refined products imported and exported by the 15 international recognized terminal storage companies that are directly connected to the Port.
In June 2017, the Port of Fujairah and Abu Dhabi Ports signed a 35-year concession agreement granting Abu Dhabi Ports’ exclusive rights to provide services for container, general cargo, RoRo and cruise ships. The Container Terminal Capacity stands at 720,000 TEUs per annum and the General Cargo Yard has a capacity of 1.3 million ton per annum, further complementing services offered at Khalifa Port.
The deep-water area at Dibba Port has been developed into a new export terminal for mainly limestone, aggregate, clinker and will focus on the Indian Subcontinent markets. The new bulk terminal makes the export of limestone’s easier as the port is less than 50 km away from the quarries. Commercial operations started on 1 March 2024.
Accommodating up to 174 anchor positions at any time, it offers an efficient and diverse ‘one-stop-shop’ service for calling vessels. The Fujairah Anchorage Area is known for its safety, security and calm waters and around 12,000 vessels calling FAA each year, making it one of the biggest maritime service hubs in the world. Services include bunkering, ship supply, ship repair, spare parts, inspection and crew change.
A fleet of more than 100 privately owned supply vessels operate on a 24-hour basis from the Port’s dedicated Service Harbor. A sheltered facility for maritime supply operations, such as loading of stores and spare parts, supply of electricity and fresh water, sewage service, fuel station and storage.
In short, Fujairah has developed significantly to become a strategic location with world class facilities and it continues to improve and grow to meet the exciting and diverse demands of the future.