DP World to build new Fujairah port to bypass Strait of Hormuz

DP World, the Dubai‑controlled port operator, is negotiating the construction of a multi‑purpose port and a new container terminal on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates at Fujairah. The facility would allow cargo to enter and leave the UAE via the Gulf of Oman, avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, and then be moved by road to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other Gulf markets. The plan follows severe disruptions to the region’s main hub, Jebel Ali, where traffic fell by 90‑95% after Iran closed the strait earlier this year. DP World officials say the project could be completed in “approximately a year and a half” with an initial investment of several hundred million dollars, though the financing structure is still being finalised. The new port is intended as a defensive diversification; it will not replace Jebel Ali, which will “remain Jebel Ali and will never be downgraded,” a senior executive said.