DP World, Fujairah Ports Authority sign 50-year deal for new Arabian Sea terminals

Dubai's DP World and the Fujairah Ports Authority have signed a preliminary 50-year agreement to develop two multi-purpose container ports.

Named Al Rughailat Container Port and Dibba Al Fujairah Port, officials say it represents a strategic project that enhances logistical flexibility in the United Arab Emirates, and opens the door to wider options, higher capacity and better connectivity across regional and global trade routes.

The project will establish a new deep-water trade gateway for the Emirate of Fujairah, capable of accommodating the latest generation of giant container ships.

The port of Al-Rughailat is designed to accommodate up to 2.5 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually, along with 1.7 million tons of general cargo and 190,000 motor equivalent units (CEUs), while the port of Dibba will add up to 3.6 million tons of annual general cargo handling capacity.

DP World and Fujairah Ports Authority plan to integrate each port with its own logistics zone, creating an integrated system for trade and logistics on the Arabian Sea for the country.

With the two terminals operational, DP World’s total container handling capacity in the UAE will increase from 19.4 million TEUs to nearly 22 million TEUs, with a significant expansion in the handling of general cargo and roll-on/roll-off vessels.

The two new terminals will be linked to Jebel Ali via DP World’s internal logistics network and will be integrated with the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), expanding DP World’s integrated supply chain in the UAE and enabling traders to move goods more efficiently between ports, logistics hubs and end markets.

The project will be implemented in phases, and construction work is expected to take between 24 and 30 months from the start date.

Officials believe this will reinforce Fujairah’s growing role as a global maritime hub, given its prime location on the Arabian Sea and direct access to major international shipping lines, as well as contributing to increased investment and job opportunities, as well as boosting the emirate’s long-term economic growth.

The agreement was signed in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, Essa Kazim, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DP World Group, and Mousa Murad, Director of Fujairah Port.

In the presence of the Crown Prince of Fujairah, DP World and Fujairah Ports Authority reach an agreement in principle to develop two new terminals on the UAE’s east coast under a 50-year concession.

Al Rugaylat Terminal

- 2.5 million TEU annually
- 1.7 million tonnes of… pic.twitter.com/JvaiRRgyA7

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 22, 2026