Dubai:DP World has successfully transported more than one million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from the UAE's east coast ports to Jebel Ali and domestic markets by road and rail from the first week of March until the end of October. The company is also fast-tracking the phased opening of its two Fujairah terminals to 18-24 months, ahead of the previously estimated timeframe of 24-30 months.
According to Emirates News Agency, Shehab Mohamad Aljasmi, Chief Commercial Officer of Ports and Terminals at DP World GCC, stated during a media briefing that the trucking network, built from the ground up, now comprises over 3,000 trucks managed and operated by the company, including 700 owned by DP World. Approximately 3,500 TEUs are moved through the land corridors daily.
Aljasmi explained that cargo arrives at ports outside the Strait of Hormuz and is then transported through customs-controlled corridors to Jebel Ali for clearance, storage, and distribution. Additional corridor solutions through Sohar and Duqm in Oman, as well as connectivity through Jeddah, offer alternative routes into the UAE and the wider Gulf markets.
He highlighted the opening of the Jebel Ali Rail Terminal and the establishment of a 100,000-square-metre empty-container depot in Al Awir, which have alleviated operational pressure on the port. The experience underscored the importance of accelerating cross-border rail connectivity and converting contingency arrangements into ready-to-activate plans.
Jebel Ali Port has remained operational, with minimal disruption since the beginning of the crisis. The port is connected to more than 80 weekly services reaching 150 ports worldwide and has an annual container-handling capacity of 19.4 million TEUs. It handled 15.6 million TEUs in 2025, with origin-and-destination cargo recording annual growth since 2020.
Aljasmi noted that Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) hosts over 12,000 companies across approximately 57 square kilometers, maintaining high occupancy rates in its asset classes and attracting more than AED1 billion in new investments during the year's first six months.
DP World is operating under a 50-year concession to develop the Al Rugaylat container and multi-purpose terminal and the Dibba General Cargo terminal on the UAE's east coast. The development of these terminals, representing an investment of around AED2.5 billion, will be phased according to demand.
The Al Rugaylat terminal near Fujairah International Airport will handle around 2.5 million TEUs annually, while Dibba will add capacity for up to 3.6 million tonnes of general cargo annually. Once operational, these terminals will increase DP World's total container-handling capacity in the UAE to nearly 22 million TEUs.
Aljasmi emphasized that the strategy for these developments is designed for the long term, supporting investment, employment, and economic activity in Fujairah while enhancing the efficiency of cargo movements.
He also mentioned that DP World's regional network is expanding, with the South Container Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port achieving record throughput levels in 2026 and plans to open a US$250 million Jeddah Logistics Park in early 2027. The development of the Al Rawdah Special Economic Zone near the Oman-UAE border aims to boost cross-border connectivity.
Etihad Rail has connected Jebel Ali to the UAE national railway network, and Dubai Customs, along with Oman Customs, has activated the Green Corridor, facilitating trade flows worth around AED34 billion between March and June.
Future priorities include pre-agreed protocols and permanent cross-border links to enable faster responses while maintaining secure and seamless trade flows.
