Commercial and residential buildings on the beach in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Vidya Chandramohan/Bloomberg)
key takeaways:
- DP World reached an initial 50-year concession to build two deepwater terminals in Fujairah, UAE, outside the Strait of Hormuz.
- The project adds capacity for 2.5 million containers, 190,000 autos and 5.3 million tonnes of cargo as the UAE reduces dependence on Hormuz.
- DP World said the terminals will be connected to Jebel Ali through an inland logistics network, with the phased development taking up to 30 months.
DP World said it has reached an agreement to develop two new deepwater terminals that will connect the world’s largest container port outside Asia to global trade routes without requiring ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
The Dubai-based ports and logistics giant on July 22 announced an agreement in principle with Fujairah Ports Authority for a 50-year concession on the UAE’s east coast on the Gulf of Oman.
Read more: DP World seeks return to US operations at Texas port
The new facilities will add to the UAE’s plans to build oil pipelines and expand other ports as it seeks to reduce its dependence on Hormuz, whose blockage during the Iran war has thrown Middle East economies into turmoil.
The newest facilities, Al Rugaylat Container and Multipurpose Terminal and Dibba General Cargo Terminal, will have a combined annual capacity of 2.5 million 20-foot containers, 190,000 autos and 5.3 million tonnes of general cargo, the company said in a statement.
The Crown Prince of Fujairah witnesses the signing of an agreement between DP World and Fujairah Ports Authority to develop two new terminals.https://t.co/6Hwpd9ASgm pic.twitter.com/cUebvE9ZXq
– Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) 22 July 2026
The US-Iran war has turned the Strait of Hormuz into a chokepoint that has limited container volumes through Jebel Ali, DP World’s key port on the Persian Gulf coast. Some companies and governments have turned to trucking and rail to move key commodities, but capacity for these operations is limited.
DP World said the new terminals will be linked to Jebel Ali and integrated with a nearby east coast region called Jafza through an inland logistics network. The development will take place in phases and will take up to 30 months.
“The UAE has been at the heart of DP World’s story for more than four decades, and this investment reflects our confidence in its future as one of the world’s leading trade and logistics hubs,” Chairman Essa Kazim said in the statement. “Building on the strength of Jebel Ali, this development deepens our commitment to the UAE and strengthens the country’s strategic role in global trade.”
