Gulftainer has unveiled plans for the 150-hectare Al Dhaid Multi-Modal Trade Corridor in Sharjah, a 1.5m TEU-per-year inland logistics hub designed to extend Khorfakkan Port’s reach into the UAE and wider GCC, according to Gulftainer.
The site is planned about 50 km from Khorfakkan Port, between the UAE’s east coast and the mainland. Gulftainer said the hub will connect Khorfakkan Port with the Etihad Rail network and support cargo flows across the Arabian Peninsula, including Saudi Arabia and Oman.
The project is being developed as a digitalised, ESG-compliant logistics ecosystem with an inland container yard, an empty depot, a container freight station and rail integration for high-capacity bulk freight movements. It is intended to reduce inland drayage costs and improve first- and last-mile cargo flows.
Gulftainer group chief executive Farid Belbouab said: “The Al Dhaid Multi-Modal Trade Corridor is set to become more than just a development; it is a vital economic engine for the Emirate of Sharjah, the UAE and the GCC. By combining Khorfakkan Port’s deep-water access with Etihad Rail’s freight power, and backing it with world-class digital and ESG-ready infrastructure, Gulftainer is shaping the region’s new Middle East trade corridor.”
The corridor is structured as a public-private partnership with Sharjah Ports Authority and is planned as a single-window clearance environment. Gulftainer said the Al Dhaid project will expand its inland network in Sharjah alongside Sajaa Dry Port, which was launched earlier this year as the UAE’s largest bonded dry port.
Gulftainer is a Sharjah-based port management and logistics company operating container terminals and inland cargo facilities.
Khorfakkan Port is a container port on the UAE’s east coast. Sajaa Dry Port is an inland bonded logistics facility in Sharjah.