On 22 July 2026, DP World and Fujairah Ports Authority signed a 50-year concession in principle to develop two new deep-water ports — Al Rughailat and Dibba — on the UAE's east coast, outside the Strait of Hormuz. The deal, announced per WAM (Emirates News Agency) and the joint DP World / Fujairah Ports Authority statement, adds roughly 2.6 million TEU to DP World's UAE container capacity and gives the country a full-scale commercial gateway on the Arabian Sea.
What was signed: the deal in numbers
The concession covers two east-coast sites, phased over 24–30 months, with construction running in stages. Al Rughailat is the main container and ro-ro terminal, engineered to accommodate ultra-large container ships (ULCS). Dibba is positioned as a general-cargo port. Together they lift DP World's UAE container capacity from 19.4 million TEU to about 22 million TEU — a portfolio figure that reflects DP World's terminals only and excludes AD Ports Group assets such as Khalifa Port.
The signing was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah. Essa Kazim, Chairman of DP World, framed the rationale in one line: "This investment reflects our confidence in its future as one of the world's leading trade and logistics hubs." Yuvraj Narayan, Group CEO of DP World, gave the operational read: "With Jebel Ali operating at high utilisation, this development provides the additional capacity…"
| Metric | Al Rughailat | Dibba |
|---|---|---|
| Container capacity | 2.5M TEU / year | — |
| General cargo | 1.7M tonnes / year | 3.6M tonnes / year |
| Ro-ro capacity | 190,000 CEU / year | — |
| Ship class handled | Ultra-large container ships (ULCS) | General cargo |
| Build timeline | 24–30 months, phased | 24–30 months, phased |
Both ports come with integrated logistics zones, connected to Jebel Ali and Jafza through the UAE's inland network — the two coasts are being built to function as one system, not as rival hubs. For context on how the UAE stitches logistics together as a single hub, see our overview of opening a logistics center in the UAE.
Strategy: why a port outside the Strait of Hormuz
Hormuz is a 33-kilometre chokepoint through which almost all UAE west-coast trade flows, and since 28 February 2026 it has seen intermittent disruption tied to the regional conflict. Bab al-Mandeb, further south, remains a risk zone for shipping. Insurers reprice. Carriers reroute. Delivery windows slip.
An east-coast deep-water port sidesteps the chokepoint geographically. Al Rughailat sits on the Arabian Sea, on the deep-water lane container majors already use to reach the Indian subcontinent, East Africa and the Far East. Cargo that today loops through Hormuz to Jebel Ali can instead land in Fujairah and move overland — shorter maritime exposure, redundant path, same customer at the end of the chain.
Sheikh Saleh bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Chairman of Fujairah Ports Authority, framed the partnership as continuity rather than a pivot: "The partnership with DP World marks an important milestone in Fujairah's continued development as one of the region's most important maritime gateways" (per Gulf News, 22.07.2026).
What this means for UAE businesses and expats
For importers and exporters, the practical effect is optionality. Freight forwarders will start quoting east-coast landings alongside Jebel Ali as terminals come online. That competitive pressure shows up first in dwell times, then in reefer and heavy-cargo pricing — categories where Jebel Ali has been running tight.
For trading companies and SMEs, the second-order effect is inventory strategy. If you can land goods in Fujairah with a predictable schedule during regional volatility, safety-stock ratios can come down. That releases working capital — not a fortune, but meaningful for anyone running on razor margins. Companies planning UAE incorporation from abroad often ask us about port choice and licence jurisdiction in the same breath; a useful starting point is our comparison of Meydan, IFZA and DMCC free zones, since Fujairah's free-zone options sit inside the same decision matrix.
For expats — especially in logistics, freight forwarding, procurement and marine services — hiring intent tends to lift 12–18 months ahead of a phased port opening. Watch Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and the Al Ain corridor. For SME owners with import-heavy models, the near-term move is a call with your forwarder about east-coast readiness before rate cards get rewritten.
How it fits the UAE non-oil agenda
The concession is a physical piece of a policy story the UAE has been telling for a decade: non-oil GDP as the growth engine. Dubai's D33 agenda targets a doubling of the emirate's economy by 2033, with trade and logistics as a load-bearing pillar. Fujairah's east-coast build-out complements that — different emirate, same direction. Read together with the port's existing role as a global bunkering hub, the picture is layered infrastructure rather than isolated announcements.
For foreign investors weighing UAE market entry, the sequencing is the signal: the state is committing to hard infrastructure at the exact moment the private sector is being asked to price in longer horizons. Coordinated signals of that kind usually reward early positioning.
What to do now
- Importers: ask your forwarder for east-coast landing quotes as Al Rughailat milestones publish.
- Traders and SMEs: revisit safety-stock assumptions once phase-one dates firm up.
- Investors evaluating UAE entry: shortlist Fujairah free-zone structures alongside Dubai and Abu Dhabi options — the port build changes the calculus.
- Logistics professionals: track hiring in Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Al Ain over the next 12–18 months.
- Corporate leadership: stress-test your regional supply chain against a two-coast UAE, not a one-coast one.
Garant Consulting advises on entity setup, banking and cross-border structuring across the emirates. If the east-coast opening changes your plan, we can help you sequence it.
Sources
- WAM — Emirates News Agency (state channel): wam.ae
- The National, Business, 22.07.2026: thenationalnews.com
- Gulf News, Business/Markets, 22.07.2026: gulfnews.com
- ARN News Centre: arnnewscentre.ae
- DP World Newsroom: dpworld.com
