Gulftainer (GT), a globally trusted leader in integrated maritime and logistics solutions, has unveiled its strategic plans to develop the Al Dhaid Multi-Modal Trade Corridor—a landmark 150-hectare regional powerhouse with annual capacity of 1.5 million TEUs.
Strategically located at the geographic inflection point between the UAE’s East Coast and the mainland with just 50 KM from Khorfakkan Port, the Al Dhaid Multi-Modal Trade Corridor is being engineered to act as a capacity extension for Khorfakkan Port. Planned and designed as a state-of-the-art, ESG-compliant, and fully digitalized logistics ecosystem, the Hub will provide a frictionless logistics corridor that streamlines the entire supply chain.
Thanks to the strategic vision of Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority, which supports transformative projects to enhance supply chain efficiency, this corridor marks a pivotal moment in the UAE’s logistics roadmap. It will serve as a critical supply chain core, physically integrating Khorfakkan Port with the Etihad Rail network to serve the entire Arabian Peninsula.
Commenting on the new trade corridor in Al Dhaid, Farid Belbouab, Group CEO of Gulftainer, said: “The Al Dhaid Multi-Modal Trade Corridor is set to become more than just a development; it is a vital economic engine for the Emirate of Sharjah, the UAE and the GCC. By combining Khorfakkan Port’s deep-water access with Etihad Rail’s freight power, and backing it with world-class digital and ESG-ready infrastructure, Gulftainer is shaping the region’s new Middle East trade corridor.”
The UAE’s newest and largest trade corridor—The Al Dhaid Multi-Modal Hub— will offer customers and partners an unprecedented competitive advantage, yielding significant cost efficiencies and operational improvements in inland drayage by streamlining the first- and last-mile of trade. The Hub is being built as a comprehensive, purpose-built ecosystem that will include a massive Inland Container Yard (ICY) and Empty Depot, High-Velocity Container Freight Station (CFS) to consolidate diverse cargo inland for same-day shuttle to the port, and Intermodal Etihad Rail Integration to enable high-capacity bulk freight transit into Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Farid Belbouab added: “We are providing global manufacturers and distributors with a robust ecosystem that offers unmatched agility, derisked routing, and profound cost efficiencies. This facility will be where resilience meets innovation, anchoring global shipping volumes to our shores and creating a permanent, highly efficient supply chains for the entire GCC.”
The Al Dhaid Multi-Modal Trade Corridor represents a strategic Public-Private Partnership with the Sharjah Ports Authority. As a frictionless, ‘Single-Window’ clearance environment, the Hub is being engineered to accelerate regional trade, ensuring that Sharjah remains at the forefront of the global logistics transformation.
This builds on Gulftainer’s growing inland network in Sharjah where ‘Al Dhaid Multi-Modal Trade Corridor’ together with ‘Sajaa Dry Port’, the UAE’s largest bonded dry port launched earlier this year—will extend Khorfakkan Port’s reach and deliver multimodal logistics solutions across the UAE and the GCC.
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