The key facts
- Khor Fakkan port capacity will grow from 3.5 to 5 million containers a year, with a long-term goal of 10 million
- The port lies outside the Strait of Hormuz, which raises its importance amid disruptions caused by the US–Iran war
- The Etihad Rail station near University City will open on 30 March 2027, and Sharjah Airport is expected to handle about 25 million passengers a year by 2027
Port expansion and its significance
Sharjah intends to more than double the container capacity of the port of Khor Fakkan: from the current roughly 3.5 million to 5 million containers a year, and in the long term to 10 million. This was revealed to The National in an interview by Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, chairman of the emirate's Department of Government Communications. The National in an interview. The port lies outside the Strait of Hormuz, and amid trade disruptions linked to the US–Iran war it is attracting heightened attention as an alternative supply route into the UAE. According to Sheikh Fahim, over the past six months investors interested in building logistics infrastructure have been calling weekly, and the government is working to provide land and investment opportunities.
Railway and airport
The port expansion is embedded in the emirate's broader transport development programme. The Etihad Rail station next to University City in Sharjah, where about 45,000 students study, is due to open on 30 March 2027; Sheikh Fahim expressed hope that it will become the main choice for students. The planned link with Al Dhaid should make it easier for tourists to reach the Sharjah Safari park. Sharjah Airport is expected to reach a capacity of about 25 million passengers a year by 2027: long-range Airbus A321 aircraft allow Air Arabia to open new destinations, including flights to London Gatwick by the end of the year. Sheikh Fahim also noted that Sharjah is the only emirate bordering all six others, and that development is aimed not only at the capital but also at Al Dhaid, Al Madam, Dibba Al-Hisn, Khor Fakkan and Kalba, including food processing centres on the east coast.
Context of the emirate's development
Sharjah's population, according to Sheikh Fahim, has grown from 1.4 million in 2014 to 2.1 million, and among his priorities he named quality of life: a three-year rent freeze programme and the residential projects Aljada, Masaar and Al Mamsha. Known as the 'turtle sheikh' for his protection of marine fauna, he added that in his free time he free-dives in the marine protected area off Khor Fakkan — the very place where the port is being developed.
