Port Rashid
Port Commerce

Modern Port Rashid handles containerized, general, and roll-on/roll-off cargo as well as passenger vessels. Port Jebel Ali was created further from downtown Dubai in the early 1980s to supplement Port Rashid’s facilities. The Dubai dry docks and Maritime City are located adjacent to the port. In 2008, there was an announcement that all cargo operations would be moved to Port Jebel Ali and that Port Rashid would become a cruise terminal and mixed-use urban waterfront area to house 200,000 people.

Port Rashid

Port Rashid

Taken on 1 May 2007, Dubai Maritime City is under construction.
Photo by Imre Solt

The Dubai Ports Authority (DPA) operates Port Rashid and Port Jebel Ali. It was awarded the Best Seaport and Best Container Terminal Operator in 1999 at the 13th Asian Freight Industry Awards. The DPA serves over 100 shipping lines and has facilities that include 102 deepwater berths, 23 container gantry cranes, and ten container terminal berths.

In 1998, container cargo reached a record high of 2.8 million TEUs, and over 11 thousand vehicles called at Port Rashid and Port Jebel Ali. Almost five thousand container vessels called at port, and total cargo handled reached over 36 million tons. In 2007, the Dubai terminals handled over 10 million TEUs.

Facilities at Port Rashid contain ample storage. The container yard area covers 615 thousand square meters. Port Rashid contains 13 warehouses for general cargo with a total of almost 97 thousand square meters and open storage of almost 308 square meters. The container freight station facilities cover over 22 thousand square meters of covered storage and over 48 thousand square meters of open storage.

Port Rashid

Port Rashid

Taken on 1 May 2007.
Photo by Imre Solt

Port Rashid offers five berths of up to 12.8 meters draught for container vessels and one tanker berth with 11.5 meters draught. The remaining 30 berths, used for general cargo and some vessel repairs, have from 9.3 to 11.5 meters draught.

DPA continues to expand facilities and equipment to handle non-containerized cargo. The major commodities handled at Port Rashid include minerals, timber, steel, sugar, rice, and project cargo as well as chilled and frozen foods.

Deira, Dubai

Deira, Dubai

The boats seen at the bottom of the image are in Port Saeed. Taken 8 October 2007.
Photo by Imre Solt

Port Rashid has a berth dedicated to handling bulk cargo, including minerals, chemicals, petroleum, and foodstuffs. The facilities for roll-on/roll-off cargo offer ample short- and long-term storage for vehicle imports and re-exports as well as livestock. It includes a reefer facility for repair and maintenance of reefer containers. The Port Rashid terminals include a jetty that handles tankers up to 40 thousand tons and bunker barges.

Port Rashid offers trucking service for containers and general cargo that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It also offers a ferry service that is popular for passengers moving between Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, and both Iraq and Iran.

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