by Radhika Rani G.
Jebel Ali Port is consistently voted as the best seaport in the Middle East. Its infrastructure, cost-competitiveness, customer-friendly fee regime, investment foresight, and facilitation of ancillary services such as logistics and freight forwarding facilities make it a class apart.
Rated as the largest container port between Rotterdam and Singapore and the world’s ninth largest container port in 2010 with a capacity of 14 million teu, the port, covering over 134 sq km, is deemed the biggest man-made harbour in the world and the biggest Middle East port.
The port town, located 35 km southwest of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, is home to nearly 5,500 companies from 120 countries and has a thriving expatriate community. It is also linked to Dubai’s expressway system and the Dubai International Airport Cargo Village that make things move faster.
Interestingly, the deep harbour and large facilities have made Jebel Ali the US Navy’s most-visited port. As it can accommodate Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and battleships, US service personnel call it ‘The Sandbox’.
Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, sees the port, endowed with superior supply chain infrastructure, as the most preferred gateway to the UAE and its GCC partners comprising Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain. He also sees a great potential for Indian exporters and importers, who have been among DP World's most valued business partners, and hopes to see their numbers grow. “A unique, world-class, state-of-the-art port facility, Jebel Ali can accommodate any Emma class vessels,” he says while substantiating why Jebel Ali is Dubai’s best and most efficiently managed port.
For Muallem, the ability of his hard-working employees to deliver the best possible service in even adverse market conditions and the determination to reach out to the valued customers are the drivers for the port’s success in catering to trade in the region. “We listen to our customers' needs, which allows us to plan and cater to future requirements,” he says as we listen to him during an interview in Mumbai. Highlights:
How important is India as a trade partner to the UAE?
India has always been an important commercial partner of the UAE and an important destination of DP World’s investments in port infrastructure. We are committed to building on this partnership, with our flagship Jebel Ali Port in Dubai continuing to play its role as a trade catalyst between India and the rest of the world.
How is Jebel Ali Port serving as trade catalyst for Indian exporters?
Trade between India and Dubai is expanding at an unprecedented pace, and as one of the largest marine terminal operators in the Gulf region, DP World is a major facilitator and contributor to this growth.
The UAE, Dubai and Jebel Ali Port, in particular, have been serving as the most preferred commercial gateway to the entire Gulf region for Indian exporters. This catalytic role has only grown with the years. Our trade volumes with India speak for this.
According to the Dubai Statistics Department, trade between Dubai and India – direct and through Dubai’s free zones – soared in the first six months of 2011 reaching AED 123.10 billion, compared with AED 182.76 billion for the entire 2010. India is also the top-ranking non-oil trading partner of the UAE and the GCC as a whole.
We are proud to say that much of this trade passes through the world-class marine terminals DP World operates at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port.
How will the recently launched ERTIBAT work towards fostering trade cooperation between Dubai Customs and other business entities like India?
This question should be directed to Dubai Customs. However, in general I can say that programmes and projects like ERTIBAT aim to foster cooperation with trade attachés in Dubai and affiliated business councils. It enhances exchange of information and expertise and serves the public interests.
Having been rated the best seaport in the Middle East by various agencies, what are the qualities in your management and the staff that have been driving the port to success?
Jebel Ali has made Dubai and DP World proud by being consistently voted the largest, best and most efficiently managed port in the Middle East over the past two decades at various international industry events. Indeed, just this week we won Container Terminal Operator of the Year at the Seatrade Middle East & Indian Subcontinent Awards for the third year in a row. We owe that prestigious award to the commitment and professionalism of our entire team.
DP World invests in its people first and foremost, and the returns are reflected in our consistent and award-winning performance. Our management leads from the front, with an emphasis on cultivating a dynamic and inspiring work environment as one of the key factors driving the company's success. While our operations may be geographically diverse, the values of team work, commitment and leadership are deeply rooted within our corporate culture.
DP World believes firmly that companies not only can, but must behave responsibly if they are to succeed in a rapidly globalising environment. Business does not happen in a vacuum – it grows and flourishes with constant and respectful interaction of ideas, people and communities. We were therefore very pleased that the UAE region won the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) award at the Supply Chain and Transport Awards (SCATA) this year, while DP World overall last month won the coveted CSR award at the Lloyd’s List Global Awards. Our India terminals have also been recognised for their work in this area, including DP World Nava Sheva at Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai, which this year won both the prestigious Golden Peacock Award for Environment Management and the Environmental Protection Award at this week’s Seatrade Middle East & Indian Subcontinent Awards for its impressive green initiatives in environment management and energy conservation.
How do you see Asian ports entering the global league in the next 10 years?
Asia is home to two leading global economic powerhouses in India and China. Ports play a central role in driving the economic growth of these and other Asian countries. Asian ports are already in the global league in terms of the volumes they handle, with world class facilities in Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China. DP World operates five major marine terminals in China. In India too we have five major terminals and a sixth one under development in Kulpi. And of course, our new International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam in Kochi is the largest of its kind in India and marks India’s entry into the big league of global ports.
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