Free Zone Corporation News

The Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), in cooperation with Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), have launched the Marine Agency to oversee wooden dhow ships and regulate all their activities while they’re in Dubai waters. The agency is an organizational unit managed by PCFC and works according to regulations in coordination with the competent government authorities. The move is part of PCFC’s constant efforts to strengthen Dubai’s trade environment and maintain…

The $538 million first phase of the new Deepwater Port of Posorja in Ecuador by global trade enabler, DP World, is now completed and successfully operational.The overall $1.2 billion project will replicate Dubai's Jebel Ali Port and freezone, making Ecuador a trade and logistics hub for South America's west coast, and opening a gateway for large container ships with capacities exceeding 10,000 TEUs.Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, visited the facility to assess progress of the project, which is one of the largest international investments in Ecuador. The port has already been operational for two months, handling thousands of containers and more than a dozen post-panamax ships.Posorja is expected to welcome an annual volume of 750…

DP World and Indonesia’s leading conglomerate Maspion Group have signed two preliminary agreements to create a $1.2 billion container port and industrial logistics park in East Java.It is the first joint venture of its kind in the Indonesian transportation sector involving a private sector partnership between an FDI partner and a private sector Indonesian company in Maspion, within the context of cooperation in maritime services with the state-owned maritime services operator Pelindo III. Two term sheet agreements aim to create a modern, integrated container terminal and industrial logistics park, expected to play a vital role as a trade gateway for Eastern Java.It includes cooperation in setting up Maspion International Container Port in Gresik…

Dubai-based ports operator DP World has revealed plans to set up a logistics facility in landlocked Ethiopia, a move that comes as the company is developing a port in neighboring Somaliland. A reuters report quoting the United Arab Emirates state news agency, WAM said that the Sultan bin Sulayem, DP World Group's chairman & CEO and chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation informed the media that the logistics complex in Ethiopia to cater to the landlocked African countries. Business groups in Dubai can always benefit from DP World's presence in different countries, including Rwanda and Egypt, where re-exporting opportunities are abundant, bin Sulayem quoted as saying.

Dubai plans to build a marina for luxury yachts in response to high demand as the emirate is targeting one million cruise passengers per year by 2020, said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation. The increase will mostly come from beefing up infrastructure at the region’s largest cruise terminal, Mina Rashid, which will also include building a marina for luxury yachts. The government is investing heavily to transform its most popular port, Mina Rashid, into a world-class cruise destination. The emirate saw half a million passengers in the 2015-2016 season, a 33% increase over the previous season. The number of cruise ships also rose from 109 to 134.

DP World Group Chairman and CEO and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem has met the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Somkid Jatusripitak, who is responsible for seven ministries including Finance and Investments. During the meeting, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand, discussions revolved around the future prospects of cooperation between Thailand and DP World, exploring the potential for DP World to contribute in the country’s economic growth, especially in areas of ports, trade, shipping, and logistics industries. Also part of the discussion were the global port operator’s existing investments in Thailand and how they can be given further impetus.

DP World has announced plans to build a new marina for luxury yachts at Port Rashid in Dubai. The project comes in response to an increased demand for luxury yachts. Tenders for construction will be invited soon. The first phase of the project is scheduled to open by 2018, with a capacity of more than 400 boats and sailing yachts with lengths in the range of 15 to 35 metres. The second phase will be for luxury yachts berth with length of more than 100 metres. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Chairman of the Dubai Ports World, said, "The corporation will develop Port Rashid Marina as an integral part of its commitment to supporting the diversification of the economy of the UAE…

DP World Chairman, and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem has met with the President of the Maldives His Excellency Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor, in Male, together with senior company officials, to discuss potential areas of cooperation across various industry sectors. In a cabinet meeting with HE Abdul Ghafoor following talks with the President, HE Bin Sulayem expressed his support for the fortitude and strategic expertise with which the Maldives have planned their development initiatives. The archipelago has delivered consistent economic growth throughout the latter part of the last decade with an annual real GDP growth averaging 6 per cent.

Ships calling DP World/PCFC ports in Dubai are required to strictly comply with PCFC-EHS Ports and Maritime Regulations and IMO Marpol Annex VI –Regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships, as amended to maintain the port environment cleaner and safer for the port business. Any contravention to these above mentioned requirements may result in appropriate sanctions being imposed which may include imposition of fines. Furthermore, all concerned are requested to maintain their main engine/s, auxiliary engines and all other machineries/ equipment in good operating condition without causing any environmental pollution and also to ensure ship's IAPP certificate is valid in all aspects.

Dubai Maritime City has launched a strategic initiative to focus on the sustainable future of the Emirate’s maritime industry in cooperation with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy. Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the government authority charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising all aspects of the maritime sector in Dubai, has announced that it has initiated the Dubai Maritime Sustainability Program (MSP) in collaboration with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and DP World.

Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) conducted an evaluation meeting to analyze the results of the recent Ship Board Fire Drill conducted on Serenade of the Seas a cruise ship currently berthed in Dubai’s Mina Rashid Cruise Terminal. The meeting saw extensive participation by representatives from the entities involved in the drill, where they looked into the performance and strengths of the Cruise Ship Emergency Response Task Force and pointed out areas requiring further attention in order to maximize safety for both passengers and crew. The evaluation is part of broader efforts by public and private entities to improve emergency procedures and promote maritime safety standards, in line with a common vision to promote a safe and highly developed maritime industry in Dubai.

Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the government authority charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising all aspects of the maritime sector in Dubai, has announced that the Cruise Ship Emergency Response Task Force, convened in September, 2011, to address the challenges presented by the introduction of ever larger cruise ships to the UAE waters, hosted the first cruise sector mass casualty table top exercise and drill last week. The Task Force, comprised of federal and local emergency responders…

Dubai's Jebel Ali port has awarded a 130 million dirhams ($35.4 million) contract to Belgium-based Dredging International to make the port accessible to "Post Panamax" super-container vessels, officials said on Tuesday. The channel work and related operation is expected to take a year. "To meet the needs of the international shipping community, the Dubai Port Authority has taken the decision to deepen the basin to 52 ft. (16 m) so that we can serve the new generation of vessels," said the executive chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation. Sulayem said work had started at Jebel Ali Port on Sunday to increase the depth alongside berths 16 and 17 and was due to be completed in a week. The port also plans to deepen and possibly widen its approach channel to 56 ft.