Published: 2026-08-16
The Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority has confirmed an expansion programme that takes Khorfakkan Port to 5 million containers (TEU) a year, with a long-term masterplan of more than 10 million TEU. The deep-water port sits on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, and already receives the world’s largest container vessels at berths 17 metres deep served by 21 ship-to-shore cranes. The programme builds on the USD 2 billion (about AED 7.3 billion) strategy unveiled by port operator Gulftainer in July 2026, after weekly throughput surged from around 8,000 TEU to 65,000 TEU when regional shipping was disrupted. For the UAE, the project locks in a second gateway to global trade that does not depend on the Strait of Hormuz at all.
What Sharjah has announced
According to the announcement reported on 2026-08-16, the Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority is scaling Khorfakkan Port to an annual capacity of 5 million containers, and its long-term development plan targets more than 10 million TEU a year. The authority frames the project as part of a single emirate-wide network: Khorfakkan on the Gulf of Oman, Khalid Port and Hamriyah Port on the Arabian Gulf side, the logistics complexes in Al Sajaa and Al Dhaid inland, and the border crossings and road corridors that connect Sharjah to the wider GCC markets.
The expansion is not a plan on paper. Operator Gulftainer, the Sharjah-based company that has run the terminal for decades, announced in July 2026 a USD 2 billion investment strategy covering port capacity, logistics parks and shipping services. The first step lifts the terminal from its historical capacity of about 3.5 million TEU to 5 million TEU, and the three-year masterplan then takes the port beyond 10 million TEU. New equipment already ordered includes three additional ship-to-shore gantry cranes, twelve yard gantries and a new berth.
The numbers behind the expansion
| Indicator | Before | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Annual container capacity | About 3.5 million TEU | 5 million TEU now, more than 10 million TEU under the masterplan |
| Weekly throughput | About 8,000 TEU | 65,000 TEU handled during the 2026 surge |
| Truck movements | About 100 per day | 8,500 per day, expanding to 12,000 |
| Inland logistics capacity | Sajaa Logistics Park | 2.3 million TEU across Sajaa and the new Al Dhaid park |
| Investment | Ongoing upgrades | USD 2 billion (about AED 7.3 billion) Gulftainer strategy |
The infrastructure itself is already in the top league: berths 17 metres deep and 21 high-performance ship-to-shore cranes allow Khorfakkan to work the largest container ships afloat, the class of vessel that usually calls only at a handful of hub ports between Asia and Europe.
Why a port outside the Strait of Hormuz matters
Khorfakkan is the only major UAE container terminal located on the country’s east coast, directly on the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean shipping lanes. Every other large container facility in the UAE, including the flagship ports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, sits inside the Arabian Gulf and depends on passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
That geography moved from a talking point to a hard commercial fact in 2026. When shipping through the strait was disrupted during the regional escalation, cargo owners and shipping lines rerouted to the east coast almost overnight. Gulftainer reports that weekly volumes jumped from roughly 8,000 TEU to 65,000 TEU, daily truck movements grew from about 100 to 8,500, and the company estimates it covered 80 to 90 percent of the UAE’s continental supply chain demand during the disruption. Group CEO Farid Belbouab has said the foundation of the expansion was laid over the previous twelve months, and the crisis accelerated the vision.
The lesson for the UAE’s trade infrastructure is straightforward: resilience sells. A gateway that keeps working regardless of conditions in the strait is now a strategic asset for the whole country, and the federal and emirate-level push behind Khorfakkan reflects that. The port is also positioned as a node in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with integration into the Etihad Rail network planned to link the east coast terminal to the rest of the UAE by rail.
Inland capacity: Sajaa, Al Dhaid and a shipping arm
A port is only as strong as the logistics behind the quay. The Gulftainer strategy pairs the marine expansion with 2.3 million TEU of inland logistics capacity across the existing Sajaa Logistics Park and a new Al Dhaid Logistics Park, whose first phase alone covers 1.5 million square metres. The parks add warehousing, bonded storage, cold-chain facilities and distribution services, which lets importers clear, store and dispatch goods without touching the congested corridors on the Gulf side.
The group has also scaled its own shipping operation. GT Maritime, Gulftainer’s feeder arm, grew from a few hundred containers a week to more than 10,000, operating over ten chartered vessels that connect Khorfakkan to regional markets. Next on the map are services toward East Africa, the wider Middle East and the Indian Ocean rim.
What this means for business
For companies that trade through the UAE, the Khorfakkan expansion changes several practical calculations:
- Supply-chain resilience: cargo routed via Khorfakkan does not depend on the Strait of Hormuz, which reduces both insurance exposure and rerouting risk in a crisis.
- Capacity headroom: a jump from 3.5 to 5 million TEU, and later 10 million, means importers are less likely to face congestion surcharges and berth delays at peak times.
- Faster inland handling: bonded storage and cold chain at Sajaa and Al Dhaid shorten the distance between vessel and warehouse for distributors serving the UAE and GCC.
- New trade lanes: feeder links toward East Africa and the Indian Ocean open direct options for re-export businesses based in the Emirates.
Sharjah is also using the port programme to court foreign investors: the emirate’s FDI Office positions the expansion as proof that logistics capacity in the UAE scales ahead of demand. The pattern matches what we saw in the record first-half results of AD Ports Group in Q2 2026: UAE ports are growing through investment cycles, not despite them.
How Atlant Capital can help
Trading, freight and re-export companies are among the main beneficiaries of the Khorfakkan build-out, and the UAE remains one of the fastest jurisdictions in which to set up such a business. Atlant Capital advises on the right structure and licence for import-export operations through our company setup service, including free zone options in Sharjah and Dubai, and we help founders put the financial side in place through our bank account opening service. If your supply chain is being redrawn around the Gulf of Oman, the corporate structure can be ready in weeks.
Outlook
The immediate milestone is the ramp-up to 5 million TEU a year, with new cranes, a new berth and truck capacity of 12,000 movements a day coming online. Beyond that, the three-year masterplan targets more than 10 million TEU, a level that would place Khorfakkan among the largest container ports in the region. Combined with Etihad Rail integration and the inland parks, the east coast of the UAE is turning from a niche transshipment point into a full second gateway for the country’s trade.
FAQ
What is the new capacity of Khorfakkan Port?
Under the programme confirmed by the Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority on 2026-08-16, Khorfakkan Port is being scaled to 5 million containers (TEU) a year, up from about 3.5 million TEU, and the long-term masterplan targets more than 10 million TEU annually within roughly three years.
Who operates Khorfakkan Port and who funds the expansion?
The terminal is operated by Sharjah-based Gulftainer, which announced a USD 2 billion (about AED 7.3 billion) strategy in July 2026 covering port capacity, the Sajaa and Al Dhaid logistics parks and shipping services. The equipment programme includes three new ship-to-shore cranes, twelve yard gantries and a new berth.
Why is Khorfakkan important for global shipping?
Khorfakkan is the only major UAE container terminal on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz. When shipping through the strait was disrupted in 2026, weekly throughput jumped from about 8,000 TEU to 65,000 TEU, and Gulftainer estimates it covered 80 to 90 percent of the UAE’s continental supply chain demand during the disruption.
What logistics infrastructure supports the port?
The expansion pairs the port with 2.3 million TEU of inland capacity across Sajaa Logistics Park and the new Al Dhaid Logistics Park, whose first phase covers 1.5 million square metres, plus bonded storage and cold-chain facilities. Truck capacity is expanding to 12,000 movements a day, and integration with the Etihad Rail network is planned.
