Abu Dhabi opens Khalifa box port to refocus economy away from oil base

ABU DHABI has opened the first phase of its 2.5 million TEU annual capacity terminal in a bid to refocus the economy of the richest of the United Arab Emirates on diverse industries and away oil.

Khalifa Port, located at Taweelah between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, has been built alongside an industrial area known as the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi or Kizad. Together, the two have cost a total of US$7.2 billion thus far.

Its chief executive officer Martin Van de Linde is keen to see industrial business through the port despite hefty competition from Dubai's Jebel Ali port, which boasts throughput of 14 million TEU a year, 19 million within two years.

Mr Van de Linde is confident of demand in Kizad with Mina Zayed almost doubling container throughput year on year at 767,000 TEU, reported Dubai's Gulfnews.