Discovering the Best Dubai Ports
Dubai is one of the world’s biggest shipping hubs. In fact, at least 22,000 ships made a port of call in the city in 2022 alone.
With such a strategic location, it’s no surprise that Dubai ports are busy as ever, whether for tourism or trade. But what exactly are the best ports in the city? Let’s find out!
Port of Jebel Ali
Website: https://www.dpworld.com/en/uae/ports-and-terminals/jebel-ali-port
Address: Jebel Ali – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Contact details: +971 4 881 1331
Operating hours:
- 24 hours daily
The Port of Jebel Ali is a record-breaking Dubai port that was built in the 70s to help decongest cargo and container traffic from Mina Rashid.
But what was supposed to be a backup port quickly became the 9th busiest port in the world and the biggest and busiest port in the Middle East.
And did you know that it’s also the US Navy’s most frequent port of call outside the United States?
That’s because the port is big and deep enough to accommodate the massive Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and its accompanying ships at once. How cool is that?
The port is also key to keeping the world’s oil supply steady by handling traffic for the Strait of Hormuz and the entire Arabian Peninsula.
Its strategic location 35 kilometers southwest of Dubai makes it part of the Maritime Silk Road that runs from China to India and Europe through the Suez Canal.
But it’s really the massive size of the Port of Jebel Ali that gives it an upper hand from its counterparts.
At 134.68 kilometers and 67 berths, the port has the largest man made harbor in the world. In fact, it’s so big that it has its own village where 300 port workers live with their families.
The port’s container yard also covers over one million square meters and it’s home to more than 5,000 companies from 120 countries.
It can also handle more than 13 million 20-foot equivalent units every year, making it a favorite among companies because of its massive scale.
But what really sets the Port of Jebel Ali apart from its counterparts is its efficient logistics operations, thanks to its strict standards and advanced technology.
It has a dedicated Container Freight Station (CFS) with a 11,900-square meter covered storage area and 122,443-square meter uncovered storage area.
Once a ship docks, the port will immediately take care of its needs including cargo delivery, weight reduction of containers and handling transshipment cargo.
The port even has a 9,665-square meter cool and cold storage facility for different kinds of perishable cargo.
The Port of Jebel Ali also uses the Automatic Identification System maritime data, so they can easily identify and categorize ships docked on the port for more efficient operations.
Pro tip:
Do you want to see the Port of Jebel Ali up close? Book a private tour with your travel agency to explore the key parts of this massive port in Dubai.
Al Hamriya Port
Website: https://www.dpworld.com/en/uae/ports-and-terminals/mina-al-hamriya
Address: 344 Al Khaleej Street – Deira – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Contact details: +971 4 266 0066
Operating hours:
- 24 hours daily
Al Hamriya Port is the most important local Dubai port designed mainly to cater to smaller vessels and traditional wooden boats for transportation and logistics.
Although not as massive as the Port of Jebel Ali and the other ports in the city, Al Hamriya’s edge is its location.
Being in Deira, the heart of trade in the city, the port is near the local markets where sellers can easily unload and distribute their products to be sold in the city.
Al Hamriya Port was built in 1975 to keep up with the growing commercial activity in Dubai and decongest the Dubai Creek, which was the city’s main transportation and trade route.
Being a backup port, Al Hamriya used to only cater to small fishing boats and commercial ships that bring in products to the city.
But with such immense growth, it quickly became an important port where products from East Africa and South Asia are dropped off for distribution.
Since it’s near the local markets, Al Hamriya Port has a dedicated area for fishing and livestock to make sure that all these products are delivered efficiently.
The marina has 156 wet berths and 103 dry berths to cater to 259 boats at a time. The Dubai Fisherman Coop also ensures a steady supply of ice to keep deliveries fresh until they’re delivered to the sellers.
But Al Hamriya Port also thinks about the hardworking fishermen who work day in and out to keep the city’s supply of fresh seafood consistent.
This is why the port has a dedicated space for workers to rest, wash up, eat a good meal and even shop for souvenirs to take back home.
There’s also a special lounge where seafarers can relax while waiting for their goods to be unloaded.
They can even stroll around the nearby commercial strip to check out different restaurants and shops without going outside the port.
To enhance Al Hamriya’s capacity, DP World continues to expand the property with amenities focused on increasing the port’s capabitiles in handling RoRo, container, GC and dhow vessels.
Pro tip:
Fun fact: You can actually open a business inside Al Hamriya Port because it has a dedicated area for shops, offices and open spaces.
Mina Rashid Port
Website: https://www.dpworld.com/en/uae/ports-and-terminals/mina-rashid
Address: Al Mina – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Contact details: +971 4 881 1110
Operating hours:
- 24 hours daily
Mina Rashid Port was the first commercial port in Dubai that catered to cargo and container shipments before the Port of Jebel Ali was built.
Opened in 1972, it quickly became an attractive trading route for businesses that want to deliver their goods to Dubai.
Mina Rashid covers over 2 million square meters of space and it was named after Sheikh bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
For many years, the port handled most of the bulk of shipments to Dubai. But when the Port of Jebel Ali opened to decongest traffic, it also started catering to passenger and cruise ships.
Later on, the government decided to convert Mina Rashid mainly into a passenger and cruise port, especially since it’s ideally located where mega cruise vessels can easily dock.
The port has since become the top cruise tourist destination in the Middle East where it can dock up to seven mega cruise ships and 25,000 passengers at once.
And did you know that Mina Rashid also has the largest covered cruise terminal facility in the world? In fact, it has two major terminals to cater to its growing number of cruise guests.
The Port Rashid Dubai Cruise Terminal has five terminals where prominent cruise liners like Holland-America, Cunard and Hapag-Lloyd regularly dock.
These terminals are highly organized since they cater to lines based on their size and baggage handling space, making them a favorite among different cruise companies.
On the other hand, the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal is a high-tech cruise docking facility with a 14,000-passenger capacity, making it the largest single covered cruise terminal in the world.
Aside from the big cruise liners, Mina Rashid also caters to RoRO and break-bulk vessels with its 15 berths.
Because of its very high standards, Mina Rashid is also the only port in the country to have both an ISO-9002 accreditation and the prestigious Security Certificate of Excellence from the International Maritime Security.
It has also been voted as the Middle East’s most prominent luxury port for the last eight years in a pool organized by the World Travel Awards.
The port’s surrounding area has also become a huge business and residential complex with the Dubai Maritime City and Dubai Drydocks being built intentionally to be near the port.
Because of its growth, DP World, the company managing Mina Rashid has also collaborated with top Dubai Developer Emaar to build Sirdhana.
This residential complex will be built within the port with one- to three-bedroom apartments starting at AED 845,000.
Pro tip:
Mina Rashid Port is now the permanent home of Queen Elizabeth 2, the famous Cunard ocean liner that made its final voyage to the port in 2008.
It has since been refurbished and converted into a floating hotel that offers a unique experience with stunning views of Mina Rashid Port.