Abu Dhabi Ports moves all of Abu Dhabi’s RORO cargo to the new Khalifa Port RORO hub
Abu Dhabi Ports has enhanced its customer service offering by moving all of Abu Dhabi’s RORO cargo to the new Khalifa Port RORO hub, the company said in its press release.
In 2014, for the first time ever, Abu Dhabi handled more than 100,000 units in a single year, recording an all-time high of 106,071 units. The RORO volumes grew by 18.8% compared to 2013.
Khalifa Port offers additional berthing facilities and an increased throughput capacity, the port’s RORO hub has the potential to cater to the wider regional RORO markets of the GCC region, Africa and the Indian Sub-continent, and to serve and develop this important sector for the future.
While Zayed Port provided a capacity for 132,000 vehicle units per year, Khalifa Port’s current annual capacity is nearly three times as much (360,000), with plans to extend the capacity to accommodate over 500,000 units per year in the future.
Furthermore, Khalifa Port is capable of handling up to four of the largest RORO vessels at a time, double the number that Zayed Port could handle, significantly boosting turnaround times and increasing the supply chain efficiencies for the shipping lines. This is a major advantage for RORO carriers looking to reduce voyage times and enhance their overall network coverage in the region using hub and spoke model.
Another advantage that the Khalifa Port RORO hub offers, is its strategic location right next to the Khalifa Industrial Zone (Kizad), halfway between the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The availability of land within the logistics and distribution area of the industrial zone, which enjoys excellent transport connectivity, will enable automobile dealers to establish distribution centres capable of serving the entire UAE. Furthermore, the availability of land within the industrial zone offers the potential to provide covered storage facilities for importers.
