Port Khalid's
Port Khalid's original depth was dredged in the early eighties to deal with deeper draft vessels and today the berth and quay configuration is designed to accept most types of vessels. The port handles a wide variety of tonnage ranging from tankers, container vessels, Ro-Ro ships, pure car carriers, reefer ships, passenger ships, heavy lift ships, jack up rigs, bulk carriers and a multitude of smaller vessels such as coasters, supply boats, tugs, barges and crew boats. Port Khalid is one of the easiest ports to enter in the Gulf with only a short approach channel.

Location plays an important role in Port Khalid's development plans for future growth especially as Sharjah and nearby Dubai have shown such a rapid growth rate over the past 15 years. Sharjah's industrial base is one of the largest in the UAE claiming 45% of all UAE based industries. In the past port traffic for Dubai and Sharjah has been largely transshipment cargo. As the Emirates gradually moves away from its dependence on a mineral related economy to more of trading and industrial based so the nature of port traffic will also change. The recent substantial onshore and offshore gas finds have further prompted Sharjah to invest in its industrial base with the establishment of Sharjah Airport Free Zone and the Hamriyah Free Zone.

Khor Fakkan
Already one of the best container transshipment hub ports in the world Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) is gearing up for the next century. Under a programme directed by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad AI Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah and its Dependencies, the natural deepwater port is being massively expanded.

The quay has been lengthened by 350 metres to give a total length of 1,000 metres, a dredging programme has increased the depth alongside to 15 metres and the ship turning has been enlarged to take the largest container vessels envisaged.

Khor Fakkan Container Terminal has a superb geographical position in the context of today's huge and efficient deepsea container trades. Located on Sharjah's Indian Ocean Coast, it is close to the main east-west shipping lanes and outside the sensitive straits of Hormuz.

Leading Shipping Lines, including United Arab Shipping Corp, DSR Senator, Cho Yang Lines, CMA, NSCSA and Hanjin have been quick to realise the cost and time savings they can gain by using Khorfakkan as a hub port for transshipment traffic in to the Arabian Gulf, sub Continent and East Africa and effecting container transfers between their own services.