Dubai, Jan. 6th, 2007 (WAM) - The Chairman of Dubai World, Sultan AhmedBin Sulayem, said today that Dubai World was committed to the Indian stateof West Bengal's development and to being involved long term in the progressof the important Indian economy as part of its global growth strategy.

Speaking on his visit to the state capital Kolkata, Mr Bin Sulayem saidDubai World is keen on pursuing investment opportunities in India andreaffirmed his commitment to the Port of Kulpi, being developed by DubaiWorld's marine terminal operating company DP World.

The Dubai World Chairman, who is visiting Kolkata at the invitation ofthe West Bengal Government, will meet the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharyaand his top aides today to discuss among other thingsthe Kulpi Port project.

He is accompanied by Mohammed Sharaf, CEO, DP World, and other seniorofficials.

Bin Sulayem emphasised the warm relationship between the UAE and India:'India is a vibrant economy and we at Dubai World believe the close relationshipbetween our two countries forms a strong base on which long term businesscommitments can be built. This visit underlines our determination to bea partner in the state's development. We are also looking forward to exploringother investment opportunities in India as part of our global growth strategy.'Bin Sulayem's visit to West Bengal comes after a high-level delegationfrom the state visited Dubai in early December, following which the ChiefMinister extended a personal invitation to the Chairman of Dubai World.

The Dubai World team's two-day visit includes a tour of the Kulpi port,60 km downriver from Kolkata, and other key sites, including the hillstation of Darjeeling.

DP World CEO Mohammed Sharaf said: 'India has enormous potential for growthand we are pleased to be involved in developing the infrastructure thatwill help realise that potential. The Kulpi port is an important linkin our global network of terminals and will help India's businesses growthrough the efficient provision of quality container handling services.'The DP World development of Kulpi Port will include all-weather port facilities,a ship-breaking yard, and an industrial park, all integrated in a singlehub. The marine terminal will have a 450-metre quay and handling capacityof 650,000 TEU. The first phase of the port development will be completedat the end of 2009.

Kolkata and its surrounding region are currently served by Governmentrun terminals in Kolkata and the nearby port of Haldia.

With annual growth rates in containerized cargo of over 15%, these terminalsare becoming capacity constrained. They are also behind locks and therefore,unlike Kulpi, cannot offer direct berthing. The new port will primarilytarget containerized cargo but will also handle general cargo, and willalso contribute to creating jobs in the Indian state.

The special economic zone and port will be spread over 3,000 acres intotal of which 300 acres will be used for the port and allied backup facilitiesand 2,700 acres for the SEZ.

India has 12 major ports and 185 minor ports with a coastline of 7,517Km. Kulpi Port will add significantly to the volume of traffic on theeastern coast of India.

Ports account for about 95 percent of Indian foreign trade by volume andabout 70 percent by value.