The value of cargo moving through a logistics corridor linking the Sharjah ports with Oman rose 66.2% during the first three months of operation to hit about AED1.7 billion ($463 million), according to the Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority.
The corridor forms part of a broader strategy to develop an integrated logistics and customs ecosystem linking seaports with land border crossings, it stated.
The robust growth recorded during its first three months of operation reflects the success of an integrated sea–land logistics model that supports smoother trade flows, improves supply chain efficiency and provides importers, exporters, freight companies and logistics service providers with more flexible and competitive logistics solutions, it added.
Inaugurated on May 17, the corridor forms part of a broader strategy to develop an integrated logistics and customs ecosystem linking seaports with land border crossings.
It capitalises on Sharjah’s strategic location and its network of ports and border crossings to facilitate imports, exports and re-exports, support growth in trade between the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman, and expand access to markets across the region.
The corridor’s latest performance indicators show that total cargo value handled during the initial three months reached approximately AED1.7 billion. Truck movements surpassed 34,000, while processed customs declarations exceeded 32,000.
Compared to the corresponding period last year, cargo value jumped by 66.26%, reflecting growing trade activity and rising demand from the business community for the logistics and customs solutions provided through the corridor, it stated.
The corridor connects cargo flows between ports and logistics hubs via the Khatmat Malaha Border Crossing in Kalba and Al Madam Border Crossing, extending into Oman.
This integrated sea-land model gives businesses multiple options for moving goods, shortens the end-to-end cargo journey, reduces handling stages and procedures, and improves the efficiency of logistics operations.
The corridor forms an interconnected logistics network linking Sharjah’s ports and a number of other UAE ports with Sohar, Duqm and Salalah ports in the sultanate via the Khatmat Malaha and Al Madam border crossings.
The network provides the business community with more flexible and efficient routes for moving goods, while strengthening trade connectivity between the markets of the two countries and across the wider region.
According to Sharjah Ports, operating the corridor through both Khatmat Malaha and Al Madam gives the system greater operational flexibility, providing two complementary routes for cargo according to its destination and logistics requirements.
Khatmat Malaha also benefits from its proximity to Sohar Port, approximately 70km away, while Al Madam provides access to the main road network. Together, these connections strengthen integration between sea and land routes and support the continuous flow of trade.
The operational rollout was led by Sharjah Customs in close coordination with the Border Crossings and Entry Points Affairs Sector, the wider sectors and departments of the Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority, relevant UAE federal and local entities, Oman Customs and other concerned entities on the Omani side.
Together, they worked to develop the corridor’s operational and customs procedures, facilitate the movement of trucks and goods, and accelerate transaction processing.
This institutional collaboration has significantly reduced customer journey times, strengthened coordination between arrival and departure points, and streamlined the various stages of the cargo journey.
It also gives businesses greater flexibility, enabling them to manage their supply chains with greater efficiency and reliability while reducing the operational burden associated with the movement of goods.
Mohammed Ibrahim Al Raisi, Director of Border Crossings and Entry Points Affairs at the Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority, said: "The early results recorded by the corridor during its first months of operation reflect the success of the vision underpinning the project. That vision brings together the efficiency of land border crossings, the speed of customs procedures, and the capabilities of ports and free zones within an interconnected logistics ecosystem that serves the business community and facilitates trade flows."
“From the outset, our goal was to offer the business community far more than a mere transit route. We built an integrated logistics ecosystem that gives companies more efficient and flexible options, shortens the cargo journey, and helps reduce both time and operational burdens, while maintaining procedural efficiency and ensuring the safe and seamless movement of goods through border crossings,” Al Raisi added.-TradeArabia News Service
