A time machine - to have been able to see ahead in 2008, to have had the knowledge of how 2009 would progress and now to have the confidence to be bullish in 2010. Most people / companies, fortunately, do not rely on a time machine to see into the future, although some claim Gulftainer must have one.

How else would Gulftainer have been able to handle the record breaking container throughputs of 2008 / 2009, at Sharjah's Ports and remain the only major Mid-East port not to be subjected to congestion charges?

How else would Gulftainer have been able to produce up to an 11% increase in throughputs in 2009 at its terminals whilst the region reeled from a global recession and all the other major Mid-East ports produced substantial drops in volume throughputs?

How else would Gulftainer make the decision to continue to develop its terminals? To increase the handling capacity by up to 50%, whilst other major Mid -East ports placed development on "hold". To predict a 10% increase, in 2010, on the record breaking volumes of 2009, which were 11% more than the record breaking volumes of 2008.

A time machine? - I wish!

The secret of Gulftainer's success can be found in the work ethic of its staff. From the pride of the operations staff, when another productivity record is broken, to the smug knowledge of the Engineering Department, that without their efforts, Operations would not have the reliable equipment to perform. From the Documentation, I.T. and Administration staff who are such an important part of the Gulftainer machine, to the Management, whose vision has never waivered.

2009 was another successful year for Gulftainer. 2010 will be even better!.

Peter Richards
Group Director and General Manager
Gulftainer Co. Ltd.

Hanjin are one of Gulftainer's oldest customers, so it is with an even greater sense of pleasure that we can record the start of a new Hanjin (and Korean Line partners) service calling Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) in 2009.

The 'FMX' (Far East Middle East Express), using 6 x 4000 teu ships, registered it's arrival at KCT on the evening of 20th December with the arrival of 'Hanjin Gdynia' on her maiden call.

Despite extremely difficult trading conditions in 2009 throughout the world, with lower volumes of cargo movements, the Gulf region has, in the main, continued to be resilient with business continuing and showing growth in most centres.

'Hanjin Gdynia' night working at KCT

This relative buoyancy is expected to continue in 2010 and Hanjin and their partners in FMX, Sinokor and STX Panocean, aim to capitalise on the ever growing volume of imports moving from Asia into this region with the enhanced coverage that their new service will offer to all their customers.

Gulftainer Group Director & General Manager Peter Richards commented, "In a difficult year for everyone working with the container shipping industry, it makes a pleasant change to be able to emphasise some positive news. We are delighted that one of our oldest customers at KCT, Hanjin, and their partners have chosen to boost their presence in the region with additional FMX calls at our terminal, which is acknowledged to be the most productive in the entire region - if not the world.

They are rightly recognising the importance of a well placed, productive and cost effective hub port in this region and thanks to the commitment and investment of the Sharjah government, Sharjah Port Authority and ourselves - KCT is that terminal - now even more so.

We wish Hanjin and their partners the very best of success with the new service".

He also emphasised that KCT will soon, with the imminent completion of the Phase 2 expansion, have more quay and storage space plus additional equipment to cater for the growing number of lines and services using the terminal.

New Cranes at KCT

Hindsight is, admittedly, a wonderful thing, but looking back now we have to acknowledge how right and forward thinking it was for the Sharjah Government, Sharjah Port Authority, and Gulftainer to continue to expand Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT).

There were those who said that such expenditure was unnecessary, and further expansion would only add to a 'glut' of facilities in the region. How wrong they were.

Shipping lines have continued to build larger and larger container ship's to achieve economy of scale and these need the facilities which only terminals such as KCT can provide - deep draft, Super Post Panamax cranes - and above all - record breaking productivity performance.

KCT has recently received the first two of four new Liebherr Super Post Panamax gantries cranes (Megamax - with tandem lift facility), with the remaining two to be delivered at the end of December 2009.

Speaking of KCT's latest acquisitions, Gulftainer Group Operations Manager Steve Ogden said, "When the financial crisis first appeared on the horizon we already had plans to expand Khorfakkan to cater to the greater number of large container vessels that were entering the market. As Phase 2 of the expansion nears completion, the wisdom of the Sharjah Ruler, His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi's decision to expand KCT and the Sharjah Container Terminal to deal with more, bigger ships in the future is becoming more evident. Khorfakkan is recognized as one of the world's leading container transhipment ports, and over the past year we have been dealing with more and larger ships than ever before. This increase in volumes and vessel size shows that the decision to go ahead with the expansion was the correct one."

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