Sharjah - March 12, 2008 : Gulftainer's Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) hosted the United Arab Shipping Company's (UASC) latest new building on Saturday March 8th, operating on the westbound leg of its AEC service.

Named the MV 'Hatta', the ship is the second of the 8 X 7,000 teu A7 class ordered by UASC which are being delivered from Korea during 2008, and this maiden call at KCT is the first time these superb new ships have visited the Gulf Region.

Work on the remaining A7 ships is progressing on schedule.

These modern ships, which will be fully compliant with the latest MARPOL regulations regarding pollution, will have a service speed exceeding 25 knots.

The above eight new buildings will help UASC to cope with expanding trades and customer demands. UASC's existing fleet consists of 35 owned and chartered vessels.

'As one of the region's principal terminal operators, the Maiden call of this vessel at KCT is highly important and significant for us at Gulftainer, and we share the pride and pleasure of everyone in UASC at the long awaited entry into service of these splendid ships' said Gulftainer Director & General Manager Peter Richards. UASC is one of our oldest & most valued customers with its services providing many of the vital links our Terminals have, connecting the UAE with the rest of the world.

Gulftainer's Khorfakkan Container Terminal and its sister port the Sharjah Container Terminal are key gateways that provide the UAE with vital trade links to the rest of the region. Many of the important shipping services route through Sharjah's terminals operated by Gulftainer - connecting the emirate with South Asia, East Africa, Latin America, the Far East in addition to the rest of the GCC.

-Ends-

Note to the editor:
Gulftainer Company Limited was established in 1976 in the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The company's prime role is to manage and operate the container terminals in Port Khalid and also Khorfakkan on behalf of Sharjah Port Authority.

Complimenting this work, Gulftainer also owns one of the largest heavy transport fleets in the United Arab Emirates, a container repair company, a shipping agency which undertakes local ship/cargo agency work and actively pursues international port management opportunities.

As part of a broad based, privately owned group, Gulftainer Co. Ltd. is able to meet all the requirements of shipping lines in the UAE and also serve the transport needs of UAE based traders and manufacturers. Whilst the company has grown over the years, the management firmly believes in hands-on-control. The lines of communication are deliberately kept short to speed up decision making and maintain momentum.

For further information, please contact:
Mariam Keblawi
SAHARA PR
Tel: +971 4 3298996
Fax: +971 4 3298995
Mob: +971 50 4779923                  
Email: maryam@saharagcc.com     
Web Site: www.saharagcc.com

© Press Release 2008