New Service connects Sharjah to Oman, India and Pakistan

Sharjah, UAE; September 17, 2014: Gulftainer, the largest independent, privately owned, terminal operating and logistics company in the world, welcomed at the Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT) the UASC Ajman on its maiden call on UASC’s Gulf India Service. The new service will connect Sharjah with Sohar in Oman, Mundra in India and Karachi in Pakistan.

Calling weekly with two vessels, the Gulf-India service also includes the UASC Sitrah, which is due to arrive at SCT on Sunday, 28th September, 2014.

Iain Rawlinson, Group Commercial Director of Gulftainer, said: “The addition of this service is a significant development for Sharjah in strengthening trade links with India and Pakistan, two of the largest trading partners of the UAE. It will meet the requirements of our customers who have been looking for such a link. This will undoubtedly lead to even more growth for our home terminals in the coming year.”

The 267m Portuguese registered UASC Ajman, built in 2010 at the Kaoshiung Shipyards in Taiwan, has a capacity of 4,250 TEU. Upon arrival at 9:30pm on August 22, the ship was presented with a commemorative plaque which was accepted by the Chief Officer who thanked SCT for the warm welcome.

SCT was the first container terminal in the United Arab Emirates beginning operations in 1976. It is located in the heart of Sharjah, the third largest of the seven emirates within the UAE. With direct links throughout the Gulf, Asia, Europe, Americas and Africa, SCT is an ideal gateway for import and export cargo.

Gulftainer’s current portfolio covers four UAE operations in Khorfakkan, Sharjah, Hamriyah and Ruwais, as well as activities at Umm Qasr in Iraq, Recife in Brazil, Tripoli Port in Lebanon and also in Saudi Arabia, where it manages container terminals in Jeddah and Jubail ports. The company recently signed a 35-year concession with the Canaveral Port Authority in Florida marking Gulftainer’s first venture in the United States.