WAM Dubai, 20th Apr. 2014 (WAM) – DP World has inaugurated the largest and latest container inspection facility at its flagship Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. The new facility is one of the largest inspection facilities in the region, spanning over 7,000 square metres and providing 59 customs, health and environment inspection bays.
Dr. Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water; Engineer Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality; Jassim Mohammed Al Zaabi, Director General of General Authority for the Security of Ports, Borders and Free Zones; Jamal Majid bin Thaniah, Vice Chairman, DP World; Ahmed Mahboob Musabih Director General of Dubai Customs, Mohammed Sharaf, Group CEO, DP World, and Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, UAE region, attended the ribbon cut ceremony to mark the opening of the new facility, which serves Jebel Ali Container Terminal 2.
The high level delegations from the Ministry of Environment and Water, DP World, Dubai Customs, Dubai Municipality and World Security toured the new state-of-the-art facility, which is equipped with the latest technologies, to inspect inbound cargo containers arriving through the 6 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) capacity Terminal 2.
Dr. Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, said: "Sustainability represents a cornerstone of the policy of the UAE development, and has been adopted as a major axis of Expo 2020, the international event that we are all proud to work and be ready to host in Dubai. This new facility at Jebel Ali, the port gateway and the biggest transit of imports to the UAE, is a great achievement and an important contribution to the promotion and the efficiency of procedures for quarantine and veterinary, and in our efforts to sustain environmental security and higher rates of bio-security and food. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate DP World on its prestigious achievements, and the transforming of Jebel Ali Port into a mega hub port." Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said: "The new inspection facility allows Dubai Municipality inspection teams to provide more efficient services for imported agricultural and food products coming to Dubai and the UAE, with an annual volume of over 10 million tons, equal to almost 60% of our nation’s imports. This facility will add value to insure Dubai provides the best service, with the increase in local demand for such products from both residents and visitors as well as to cater to the large influx of tourists expected in the run-up to the EXPO 2020 event. Jebel Ali Port is undoubtedly the largest platform for imports to Dubai and the UAE, and it receives the highest levels of attention from us." Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs, said: "The new customs inspection facility operates 24/7 to keep up with the continuous increase in the capacity handling at Jebel Ali Port, and strengthening Dubai’s position on the global trade map as a leading regional hub, as well as to promote the development of Dubai as a leading destination for business and trade, by simplifying and speeding up procedures with maintaining the security and safety of the community and the economy. In order to achieve these strategic objectives, Dubai Customs implemented the latest international system for containers scanning and inspecting and moving trucks contents via X-ray, which is capable of scanning 150 trucks per hour while driving at an average speed ranging from 8 to 15 Km/h, the equivalent of one truck every 24 seconds. Linking the Container Scanning System with the Custom’s Declaration System to be fed with information from different sources helps in identifying suspected shipments with great accuracy, raising the commitment and the fight against the illicit trade in line with the vision of Dubai Customs." Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, Vice Chairman, DP World, said: "We are proud and pleased to welcome the Minister of the Environment, and the heads of Dubai Customs, Dubai Municipality, and World Security to Jebel Ali to celebrate the official opening of the brand new inspection centre. The two centres in Jebel Ali are very much a partnership with our friends in these government departments and this public/private co-operation in support of the trade is a fine example of the approach on which Dubai is founded and which has driven and supported its incredible growth over the years. That growth is set to continue, and we at DP World are ready for it." The new inspection facility includes dedicated areas for custom’s inspection, and for health and environment inspections. The new facility provides parking space for more than 90 trucks.
Jebel Ali Port provides market access to over two billion people across the Middle East and the wider region including Africa and the Subcontinent. Its new Container Terminal 3 (T3) due to open this year will take total capacity at the port to 19 Million TEU (twenty foot equivalent container units). T3 is set to be the world’s largest semi-automated facility.
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