PORT RASHID

ABOUT

HH SHEIKH RAHID BIN SAEED AL MAKTOUM, then Ruler of Dubai, formally opened newly built Port Rashid in 1972.

Port Rashid was conceived as a 4 Berth Port but later increased to 15 Berths on Sheikh Rashid's instructions.

Port Rashid was designed for traditional general cargo ships where their cargoes were loaded and unloaded, item by item, into and from the ship's holds.

Four years after Port Rashid's opening, it was clear Port Rashid could not meet Dubai's future needs.

WHAT CHANGED PORT RASHID?

Cargo began to flood into Port Rashid not only for Dubai but also for other Gulf Countries.

Other Ports around the Gulf were seen as slow and inefficient. Consquently, shipping companies preferred to discharge cargoes at Port Rashid to avoid undue delays at other Ports. Their cargoes could be sent to other Gulf Ports by small Feeder Vessels or by road as necessary

This flood of cargoes continued until Port Rashid no longer had vacant space to store incoming cargoes.

Congestion was the result where incoming cargoes could only be discharged as an when storage space became available in Port Rashid.

This led to extended wait times for berthing ships. At its peak, over 200 hundred ships were anchored off Dubai with a wait time of up to four months.

This situation led to a call for more Berths to be built

Sheikh Rashid agreed for Port Rashid to be extended by an additional 25 berths which was seen as needed to cope with future growth.

IN THE MEANTIME....

Shipping Companies began using old shipping containers, carried on deck, to deliver high value goods to Dubai. These containers could be discharged in a matter of hours. Port Rashid gave priority to these vessels since they occupied berth space for a short time plus the containers could be stacked saving on storage space.

More and more shipping lines began using containers on deck. Then they wanted their containers returned!

Port Rashid reacted promptly by ordering a lighweight container crane and upgrading a berth to take the weight of the crane and its loads.

A second container crane was added in 1977.

By this time, more cargo was arriving at Port Rashid in containers than in general cargo ships.

REASSESSING PORT RASHID'S FUTURE.

It soon became apparent that building an additional 25 general cargo berths was not the answer to Port Rashid's problem.

Sheikh Rashid agreed to reconfigure part of the 25 Berth Port extension into a purpose built container terminal inclusive of all necessary buildings and two modern container cranes.

Sheikh Rashid formally opened the new Container Terminal in 1980.

PORT RASHID ACHIEVEMENTS

In the eight years since inception, Port Rashid had transformed from an unknown conventional port to a leading internationally recognised Container Terminal that connected East and West International Trade and endorsed by an enviable reputation for efficiency.