Abu Dhabi Ports Co (ADPC) expects a surge in shipping traffic towards the end of the year as work on major infrastructure projects in the capital gathers pace, the company’s chief executive said.
Container traffic at Khalifa Port is expected to climb to about 1.1 million containers this year, up 22 per cent from 905,000 containers last year, when traffic rose 17 per cent, Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said.
Meanwhile, general and bulk cargo traffic at Khalifa and Zayed ports combined is expected to top 12 million tonnes this year, up from 9.3 million tonnes last year and roughly the same volume in 2012.
“It is going to be a big jump, but all the givens that we have at the moment are pointing towards it,” Mr Al Shamisi said.
“We expect a big rise in the last quarter of this year in general and project cargo, because most of the vital projects in the emirate of Abu Dhabi will be in the maturing stage. We expect from September and into next year there will be a spike.”
Khalifa Port, built on a man-made island roughly halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, came on-stream in 2012 after Zayed Port, which had been serving Abu Dhabi for over 40 years, reached full capacity.
The new port faces competition from other rapidly growing facilities in the region including Dubai’s Jebel Ali port, which is only about 40 kilometres north along the Arabian Gulf coast. Mr Al Shamisi’s projections, however, suggest demand related to Abu Dhabi’s construction projects will keep activity at Khalifa growing for a while.
Abu Dhabi is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure, real estate and tourism to diversify its economy beyond oil. Strategic projects under way or in the pipeline include the expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport, the Abu Dhabi Louvre museum and construction of a nuclear power station, where the first reactor is expected to start operations in 2017 and others are planned to follow in 2020.
ADPC is the owner, operator and developer of Abu Dhabi’s civilian non-oil ports and its industrial zones. It is therefore expected to benefit from expansion plans scheduled for industries located in the adjacent Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, which is projected to provide 15 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil GDP by 2030.
“Through Khalifa Port, Emirates Aluminium (Emal) for example receives all of its raw materials and exports its aluminium to all over the world, and now that it is increasing its capacity, this will increase the traffic as well,” Mr Al Shamisi said.
Emal’s US$4bn project to boost its aluminium production capacity from about 800,000 tonnes a year to 1.3 million tonnes a year is ahead of schedule and expected to near completion in the middle of this year.
Other manufacturers using Abu Dhabi ports include Emirates Steel, which is projected to import about 5 million tonnes of raw material thisyear, and the plastics and polymers maker Borouge.
Khalifa Port now has an annual capacity of 2.5 million containers, which could be raised to 5 million in the first phase of the port’s development, depending on demand. Abu Dhabi’s long-term goal is to increase capacity to 15 million containers and 35 million tonnes of bulk cargo by 2030.
Although Port Zayed still handles some general cargo, Mr Al Shamisi said, “Port Zayed will continue to serve Abu Dhabi but we want it now to focus on cruise vessels.”
Ninety-two cruise vessels called at the port last year, with more than 160,000 tourists visiting Abu Dhabi through the port. Construction of a permanent terminal to receive tourist ships is under way.
“The facilities that are there now are working but are only temporary, and we are working on having permanent facilities for cruise vessels and developing the infrastructure,” Mr Al Shamisi said.
“This is a natural cycle for ports, where the city grows around the port and then the facility reaches full capacity and is transformed into a tourist hub while commercial activity moves elsewhere.”
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MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Racecard
6pm: The Pointe - Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.35pm: Palm West Beach - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (T) 1,800m
7.10pm: The View at the Palm - Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.45pm: Nakeel Graduate Stakes - Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
8.20pm: Club Vista Mare - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: The Palm Fountain - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm: The Palm Tower - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m
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Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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