The Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) in Sharjah, operated by UAE-based Gulftainer, a leading port management firm, has been ranked as number one in the Middle East.

The Journal of Commerce (JOC) Port Productivity report awarded top rank to the Gulftainer owned and managed port based on a set of strict criteria and measurement principles which looked at 63,500 ship calls at major ports around the world.

The January-June 2013 report, released this month, showed KCT to be a clear port productivity leader in the Middle East region.

Khorfakkan was also awarded third place in the global port rankings.

“The JOC ranking is a reflection of our commitment to maximizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness in our operations, two of the vital elements in port management. It’s a great endorsement of our achievements and a testimony to the consistency and reliability we provide to our clients,” said Gulftainer’s managing director Peter Richards.

In 2012, KCT was the fastest growing transhipment hub in the world with 28 per cent growth.

Gulftainer has seen consistent growth over the past decade, averaging more than 12 per cent compared to global market growth of 8.6 per cent in the same period.

Today, Gulftainer’s portfolio covers four UAE operations in Khorfakkan, Sharjah, Hamriyah and Ruwais, as well as activities in Iraq at Umm Qasr, Recife in Brazil, Tripoli Port in Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, where it manages container terminals in Jeddah and Jubail. – TradeArabia News Service