Abu Dhabi Ports handled more cargo last year than ever before. Both the number of containers handled through Khalifa Port and the volume of general and bulk cargo handled through all of Abu Dhabi Ports' ports have increased significantly.

The Khalifa Port Container Terminal which is managed and operated by Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT) handled more than 1 million TEUs in one year- a record for the Emirate, with the total number of containers reaching 1,137,679 TEU. This equates to a 26% year on year increase, when compared to 2013.

Meanwhile, the amount of bulk and general cargo handled was 12,821,584 freight tonnes (FT), an increase of 37% compared to the 2013 figures. The container terminal hit some significant targets as the year progressed, including 2m TEU since the beginning of commercial operations (1 Sept 2012 " 30 Nov 2014) and the most containers ever handled in one month (December 2014, 132,297 TEUs).

Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Ports commented on the increase saying:Khalifa Port has the space and the capacity to allow the businesses across the Emirate to take advantage of growing global trade opportunities, by increasing their import/export trade while making use of Khalifa Ports' excellent facilities and industry leading productivity levels and turnaround times. There are few if any ports, recording this pace of year-on-year growth anywhere in the world today.

Martijn Van De Linde, CEO ADT, added: 2014 has been the busiest year yet for Abu Dhabi Terminals at Khalifa Port Container Terminal, and the fifth straight year that our compound year-on-year growth has risen more than 20%. We successfully increased Khalifa Port Container Terminal's network to 52 international destinations and have developed strong relationships with the shipping and logistics community that have made Khalifa Port their hub. The general cargo and bulk cargo figures have shown an even more marked annual increase, with a record 12.8 million tonnes passing through the Emirates ports in 2014.

The vast majority of steel imported and exported to the Emirate is handled by Zayed Port because of its good facilities and yard capacity for storage. Zayed Port also handles the majority of the project cargo coming through to the Emirate. In 2014 the Free Port, set a record for the largest ever shipment of project cargo. It was five super heavy lift pieces for the Takreer Carbon Black Project and weighed a total of 29,492 FT.

The volume of general cargo has more than doubled over the last four years', says Capt.Al Shamisi. This is directly linked to the size and number of infrastructure and oil and gas projects in the Emirate, he added.

Abu Dhabi Ports' core objective is to facilitate trade and development across the UAE, and to promote ˜ease of doing business' through its ports. The year ahead will see the launch of the first applications for Maqta Gateway, the new advanced ports community system, which was announced at the end of 2014.Maqta Gateway will interlink all of those involved in export/import trade business through Abu Dhabi's ports, providing a single point of contact and real time information 24/7.