Gulftainer has reported a 24 per cent year-on-year increase in trade volumes in 2012
The Sharjah ports saw the greatest volumes throughout the year, with Khorfakkan Container Terminal seeing growth of 28 per cent on its 2011 figures with a staggering throughput of over 3.3mn TEU.
The consistent growth of Gulftainer is the largest of any Middle East port operator, with trade volumes more than tripling in the past decade, the press release stated.
The company?s portfolio covers three UAE operations, Khorfakkan, Sharjah and Ruwais, as well as in Iraq at Umm Qasr and the recently acquired Tripoli Port in Lebanon.
The company plans further expansion across the Middle East and international territories in 2013.
Peter Richards, group managing director, Gulftainer, said, "The past year has seen growth across a number of our operations, as well as expansion of current and new locations.?
Gulftainer has already moved forward with further expansion plans within existing operations to allow for greater capacity and the increasing size of vessels now requiring access to the ports.
Richards said, "Our figures are indicative of the UAE?s growing influence as an import and export hub, and even more so of the east coast?s popularity for containership operators."
