Gulftainer, one of the world’s largest privately owned port management and logistics companies has recorded a 24 per cent overall increase on trade volumes in 2012 when compared with 2011.

Its Sharjah ports saw the greatest volumes throughout the year, with Khorfakkan Container Terminal seeing growth of 28 per cent on its 2011 figures with a staggering throughput of over 3.3m TEU. The consistent organic growth of Gulftainer is the largest of any Middle East port operator, with trade volumes more than tripling in the past decade.

The company’s portfolio covers three UAE operations, Khorfakkan, Sharjah and Ruwais, as well as in Iraq at Umm Qasr, Recife in Brazil, and the recently acquired Tripoli Port in Lebanon, with further plans across the Middle East and international territories for 2013.

"The past year has seen growth across a number of our operations, as well as expansion of current and new locations,” says Peter Richards, group managing director, Gulftainer. “Khorfakkan Container Terminal accounted for a majority share of trade volume and continues to see phenomenal throughput with 28 per cent growth in 2012 in its own right."

For 2013, Gulftainer has already moved forward with further expansion plans within existing operations to allow for greater capacity and the increasing size of vessels now requiring access to the ports.

"Our figures are indicative of the UAE’s growing influence as an import and export hub, and even more so of the east coast’s popularity for containership operators,” continues Richards. “This is an exciting time for the company, as we increase our footprint both locally and globally, and we anticipate similar double digit growth again in 2013."