Breakbulk trade is a “silent contributor” to DP World UAE's business and its volume is expected to increase by 10 per cent to 15 per cent this year across the company’s portfolio of terminals amid global disruptions to container trade.
The ports operator has experienced an increase in non-container trade volume, be it bulk or breakbulk, not only at its flagship Jebel Ali Port, but across its portfolio of terminals that includes Port Rashid and Mina Al Hamriya in Dubai, Abdulla bin Damithan, chief executive and managing director of DP World UAE and Jafza, told the Breakbulk conference on Tuesday.
Breakbulk cargo refers to goods that are packed but not stowed in containers onboard a ship while bulk cargo refers to products that are loosely packed.
Breakbulk cargo volumes grew at an average of 20 to 30 per cent across DP World UAE's terminals to reach a total of about 9 million metric tonnes last year, with companies bringing goods including frozen chicken and citrus from as far away as Brazil and South Africa.
“Even though this industry is a silent contributor to our business and has been growing steadily over the past few years, it does not receive due attention and credit,” Mr Damithan said.
The shift from container trade to breakbulk makes it “one of the promising sectors in the UAE”. However, the industry requires “more focus on digitalisation, automation and optimising of resources”, he said.
There is an urgent need to employ technology to further boost the sector’s growth, he added.
Many cargo owners struggled to find containers to move their goods to keep pace with demand and overcome labour disruptions as the Covid-19 pandemic closed borders and led to movement restrictions.
The acute supply-chain bottlenecks worsened during the holiday season in December when the surge in demand was met by severe delivery delays. The supply chain disruptions led to congestion at ports, a shortage in shipping containers and a sharp rise in the cost of shipping goods.
The disruptions will continue to linger for years until the backlog of cargo is cleared, Sultan bin Sulayem, group chairman of DP World, said earlier this month.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Read more about the coronavirus
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
