Sharjah, 2 October 2012 - Gulftainer, the largest privately owned port operator in the world, is participating in the Terminal Operations Conference & Exhibition Container Supply Chain: Middle East (TOC ME) - the longest-running series of trade events for international shipping, port and terminal communities in the world - which is taking place from 1-3 October in Dubai.

TOC brings together executives from shippers, liner shipping, ports, terminals, inland transport, finance and other stakeholder groups to discuss challenges and opportunities for maritime container trade, with particular focus on ports and terminals as critical nodes in international transport chains.

Speaking of his company's participation, Peter Richards, Gulftainer MD, said: "Gulftainer is extremely pleased to be participating in this event. TOC ME is set to place the spotlight squarely on Middle Eastern ports, and will not only highlight opportunities for growth and investment at these ports, but will also provide the perfect platform to engage with the key industry players."

Gulftainer's Commercial Director, Jay New, addressed attendees during a discussion on Middle East Ports & Logistics Infrastructure: New projects, developments & investments on the opening day of the event.

Centred around plans to raise the total container terminal capacity across the Middle East, the discussion covered key issues such as master planning and finance considerations for port mega-projects, where is the capacity being built and where is it needed, opportunities for new private investment in ports and terminals, and progress on intermodal rail projects.

Mr New's presentation, titled Moving goalposts - A terminal tale, looked at whether the changing scene of containerisation has been one of moving goal posts, or simply keeping up with changes to the rule book.

Gulftainer Group has been operating in the UAE and around the world for over 35 years. In the UAE it operates three main UAE ports: two on behalf of the Sharjah Port Authority - Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT) and Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT); and one in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, on behalf of the international plastics solutions company, Borouge.

Gulftainer has been able to maintain a strong position in the UAE through its ports at Sharjah and Khorfakkan, and KCT was named 'Shipping Port of the Year' at the Annual Supply Chain and Transport Awards (SCATA 2011) in Dubai. In recent years it has also invested in Iraq, Russia and Brazil.

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Gulftainer, a privately owned UAE enterprise established in 1976, is a rapidly expanding, dynamic ports and logistics company now operating in various parts of the world.

Two modern container terminals are operated on behalf of Sharjah Port Authority in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Khorfakkan Container Terminal, located on the East coast of the Emirates, is one of the region's leading gateway container terminals, handling in excess of 3 million Teus.

Sharjah Container Terminal acts as a key import/export facility for industries located in Sharjah as well as for the industrial zones established in Dubai. Gulftainer also owns and operates a large Inland Container Terminal, providing 35 covered warehouses and container depot.

Other port operations include Ruwais Port in Abu Dhabi on behalf of International Plastics Company Borouge and 'Gulftainer Brazil' has recently start operations in the port of Recife.

Gulftainer has also established Momentum, a third party logistics company focusing on transport, warehousing, container repair and logistics/ freight solutions. Joint-ventures are in operation in Turkey and Pakistan to provide customers with a larger market area. Momentum has grown rapidly and now has offices throughout the region and agents throughout the world - offering unmatched supply chain solutions.

More information on Gulftainer Group and its businesses may be found on its website at www.gulftainer.com.

For any further information, please contact;
Amanda Rushforth
Senior Account Manager       
SAHARA Communications
Your Voice anytime ... anywhere ... 
PO Box: 73310 Dubai - UAE
Tel: +971 4 3298996
Fax: +971 4 3298995
Mob: +971 50 5520391
Email: amanda@saharagcc.com 
Web Site: www.saharagcc.com

© Press Release 2012