VIDEO: Hamdan visits Jebel Ali Port, says it is at the heart of UAE's continuing success story

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, on Thursday visited Jebel Ali Port, operated by DP World, to review operations, meet the teams keeping regional trade flowing and see firsthand the multimodal investments strengthening regional trade infrastructure.

During the visit, Sheikh Hamdan was briefed on the port’s operational performance and multimodal logistics capabilities, especially over the past two months, during which DP World handled nearly 200,000 TEUs via regional overland truck and rail corridors, reflecting the resilience of the gateway’s wider network.

During the visit, Sheikh Hamdan praised the teams at Jebel Ali Port for their outstanding achievements and consistent efforts to maintain high levels of operational excellence and ensure the seamless movement of trade through one of the world’s leading maritime logistics gateways.

"Dubai’s leading position in global trade has been shaped by long-term vision, advanced infrastructure and its ability to connect markets across continents. For nearly five decades, Jebel Ali Port has remained at the heart of a continuing success story, playing a vital role in linking regional and international supply chains while ensuring the uninterrupted flow of commerce under all conditions.

"We commend the role played by DP World in advancing the UAE and Dubai’s vision for a strong and sustainable economic future that contributes to prosperity and well-being around the world,” he said.

"As trade networks continue to evolve, Dubai remains focused on expanding multimodal connectivity and investing in resilient infrastructure that enhances supply chain efficiency, supports global commerce and strengthens the emirate’s standing as a leading international platform for trade and economic exchange,” he added.

Jebel Ali Port is the anchor of trade for the Middle East and plays a vital role in the UAE’s economic architecture. Beyond its role as a gateway, Jebel Ali serves as a strategic base for manufacturing, logistics, distribution and value-added services, supporting and connecting 12,000 companies to regional and global markets.

During the tour, Sheikh Hamdan visited three facilities including the Jebel Ali Rail Terminal, now running up to eight daily services, the BOXBAY high-bay storage system and the operations centre of Terminal 2, one of four terminals at the port. Together, they reflect DP World’s continued investment in infrastructure, automation and connectivity that support the UAE’s role in global trade.

Sheikh Hamdan was accompanied by Essa Kazim, Chairman of DP World, Yuvraj Narayan, Group CEO of DP World, Ahmad Yousef Al Hassan, CEO & Managing Director of DP World GCC, and senior officials and project representatives who briefed him on the port’s role in maintaining an uninterrupted flow of trade through the region.

Essa Kazim, Chairman of DP World, said: "Businesses and economies that thrive in today’s evolving economic environment are those built on diversified, resilient infrastructure. What DP World has built over nearly 50 years - the trade and industrial ecosystem around Jebel Ali Port, the customer relationships developed over generations, and the global network and expertise spanning six continents - is what has established it as the region’s most trusted trade gateway. That is built on decades of unmatched experience.”

Sheikh Hamdan was also briefed on the Jebel Ali Rail Terminal, which connects the port directly to the UAE’s national rail network and has an annual capacity of 800,000 TEUs, with plans to expand to 1.6 million TEUs annually in line with market demand. DP World is integrating rail into Jebel Ali’s wider multimodal logistics ecosystem, complementing maritime and road networks with up to eight daily train services.

He also visited the Terminal 2 control room and BOXBAY, the world's first deep-water, automated high-bay container storage system, which expands effective port capacity without requiring additional footprint.

These developments form part of Dubai's wider investments in logistics, aligning infrastructure, automation and digital systems to reduce turnaround times, build supply chain resilience and drive sustainable growth in trade volumes.

DP World operates across six continents with a workforce of more than 125,000 people, over 300 freight forwarding offices across the globe and a maritime fleet of more than 500 vessels.

Jebel Ali Port is the largest port in the Middle East and the anchor of the region’s most extensive free zone, Jafza, home to 12,000 companies across manufacturing, logistics, retail, healthcare, automotive and food sectors.

WAM