Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Web Desk: The United Arab Emirates is planning to build a new multipurpose port and container terminal on its eastern coast in Fujairah, a strategic move aimed at creating an alternative trade route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Financial Times report .
DP World, the Dubai-based port operator, is in talks to develop the new facility on the Gulf of Oman, which would allow cargo to enter and leave the UAE without passing through the strategic waterway that has been repeatedly disrupted by the US-Iran conflict . Containers arriving at the east coast port could then be transported overland to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other Gulf destinations .
The project comes after activity at Jebel Ali, the Middle East’s largest container port, plunged by 90 to 95 per cent following Iran’s closure of the Strait in response to US-Israeli attacks . Since the conflict began in late February, Iran has launched nearly 3,000 drones and missiles at the UAE, with debris from an intercepted missile sparking a fire near Jebel Ali in the early stages of the war .
“The new port would be built in Fujairah, which already has a harbor but lacks the necessary infrastructure to serve as a major export hub,” according to the report . The facility could be completed in as little as 18 months, with DP World planning to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the initial phase .
A senior company official told the Financial Times, “We do have our own plan, and we’ve been very active in terms of looking at the eastern coast as far as DP World is concerned. It’s defensive in case things go wrong” .
Gulf officials stress the expansion is not intended to replace Jebel Ali, which remains the region’s largest container port and has been developed over decades into a major logistics hub. “Jebel Ali will continue to be Jebel Ali. It will never be downsized,” the senior official said .
The move aligns with a broader UAE government strategy to strengthen economic resilience by reducing dependence on the Strait of Hormuz . Fujairah already plays a key role in the country’s energy infrastructure, and Abu Dhabi has been working to increase crude oil exports through the emirate to reduce reliance on the strait .
The project follows a $2 billion investment announced earlier this month by Sharjah-based Gulftainer to expand capacity at the nearby Khor Fakkan container terminal .
