DP World-UAE records impressive growth

DP World is ranked 7th largest container terminal operator worldwide by throughput, while its flagship facility of Port Rashid and Jebel Ali in Dubai are together ranked 9th, according to industry renowned newsletter Dynaliners.

Commenting on the growth, Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Vice Chairman of Board of Ports & Freezones said, 'DP World is amongst the foremost global marine terminal operators with a strong focus on meeting our customers' needs and surpassing their expectations. The continued growth at our home ports of Dubai reflects the success of this approach.'

'The past 12 months have been marked by extraordinary excitement, expansion and change for DP World - and that looks set to continue,' added Mohammed Sharaf, CEO DP World,

'We have quickened the pace of expansion with the aim of making sure we are where our customers need us to be, building on the excellent reputation for quality service established by our UAE region at our Dubai ports, earned through listening and responding to customers. This is the approach we are continuing to take as we grow beyond our home borders.'

DP World was created in 2005 by successfully integrating Dubai Ports Authority (DPA) and DPI Terminals. Over the course of the past year, DP World has continued its expansion by adding terminals in Yemen, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, India, and China, increasing its current capacity of 20 million TEU to an estimated 42 million TEU over the next five years.

Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World-UAE, summarising the performance of the Dubai ports, said, 'DP World-UAE continues to be at the forefront of implementing new technologies, and has further enhanced security at its terminals.

'Jebel Ali Terminal recently made heavy investments on the infrastructure systems and handling equipment in order to expand its capacity and increase service levels. It is the first and only user in the region of the new super large container cranes which can simultaneously lift two 40' containers or four 20' containers over a ship at one time, significantly improving efficiency.

'In addition, we have undertaken several initiatives to maintain the highest security and environmental standards. Our Dubai ports were some of the first to be ISPS certified, are ISO 14001 certified and the Environmental Health & Safety Group operates strictly under the International Safety Management Code. During 2005, we also joined the Container Security Initiative, which has seen US Customs officers stationed on our terminals, working closely both with management and our teams on the ground to maintain and enhance security.'

'The UAE region in general, and Dubai in particular, has seen buoyant growth in the economy with Dubai being established as a business hub within the Middle East. Port Rashid and Jebel Ali Terminal play a vital role in contributing to the strength of Dubai as a business hub,' he added.

Outlining the initiatives undertaken within Dubai Ports, Anwar Ahmed Wajdi, Deputy Managing Director, DP World-UAE said, 'During 2005, the documentation section was revamped and staff received advanced training to better tend to customer enquiries. The customer service teams also conducted many focus meetings with traders in Dubai to understand their viewpoint on both critical and day-to-day issues. This programme is continuous and designed to bring our teams closer to customers, and is what allows us to provide our partners and customers with a world class service,' concluded Wajdi.