Monday, May 14, 2012
Gulf News
Dubai The Dubai Municipality has announced the Dhow Wharfage Development Project, which will create an additional integrated infrastructure that will facilitate increase in dhow trade through Dubai.
The project, which involves constructing a comprehensive wharfage stretching 3km between the Deira Corniche and Palm Deira in front of Hyatt Regency Hotel, is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
Hamdan Al Shair, Director of Environment Department, Dubai Municipality, said this project will make Dubai the economic centre of import and export activities in the region. The project is expected to have an estimated cost of Dh200 million.
More area
The development of the wharfage will allow over 450 dhows to berth at the same time.
It will have 30 loading/unloading areas and provide a loading/unloading area of 90,000 square metres, which is more than half the loading/unloading area currently on Dubai Creek.
This translates into loading and unloading of 1.7 million tonnes of cargo every year.
The wharfage has been designed with a depth of 7 metres below the low water level compared to the existing level of five metres at the creek, which will enable Dubai Creek to receive and anchor bigger dhows that could not enter the Creek earlier.
This project includes new quay structures and associated dredging and reclamation, including the support services and infrastructure such as entry and exit reporting wharves, administrative and control buildings, sailor’s facilities and re-fuelling wharf.
All the safety precautions have been followed according to international standards through providing an integrated firefighting network as well as security services, police, rescue and civil defence facilities and berths.
The project works include providing all major services including internal roads, water, electricity, telecommunication, and sewage networks.
Evening handling
Also, a lighting network will be provided for the entire wharfage area to facilitate cargo handling work during the evening hours, said officials.
The construction of the project will require the excavation and dredging of 390,000 cubic metres of sand from the seabed adjacent to the wharf site and this quantity will be re-used for the reclamation work for the new wharfage.
By Shveta Pathak?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
