UAE: Jebel Ali Port – Star of “The Gateway” Programme

DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali port is the star of CNN International’s well-regarded “The Gateway” programme this month, with the first episode of a four part series aired on 6th December.

Hosted by high profile CNN anchor Becky Anderson, the programme goes behind the scenes to show how Jebel Ali port operates as a seamless gateway for trade to the wider East Africa, Indian Subcontinent, and Middle East region.

Each episode will be aired weekly through December within the economic news “Connect the World‟, which is presented by Becky Anderson.

The series includes a review of the history of Jebel Ali Port from its beginning in the late seventies when the harbour itself was constructed – the largest manmade harbour in the world – to today, as one of the largest ten ports in the world handling 13 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) in 2011. It also covers the current expansions at the port, which will increase capacity to 19 million TEU by 2014 and allow the facility to handle ten of the new generation of ultra-mega container vessels at the same time.

CNN also dedicates two episodes of the series to traditional shipping at Al Hamriyah Port and Dubai Creek, featuring the wooden dhow, which still plays an important role in connecting Dubai with other Gulf nations and East Africa. One episode includes the important date trade and highlights the fact that despite the enormous growth in containerised trade, traditional shipping with dhows continues to flourish.

Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World UAE region said:

“We are delighted that Jebel Ali Port and Al Hamriyah were chosen to feature on “The Gateway” programme, which also showcases our vibrant city of Dubai as a thriving centre of trade. Dubai is the gateway to the entire region for the commercial, industrial, financial, and tourism sectors due to its world-class infrastructure, and we are proud to contribute to that success.”

[mappress]

Press Release, December 11, 2012