Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, chairman of Sharjah's Department of Government Relations, announced on Thursday that Khor Fakkan Port, which sits outside the Strait of Hormuz, is undergoing an expansion aimed at raising its annual capacity from the current 3.5 million containers to an interim target of 5 million, with a long-term goal of reaching 10 million containers a year.
Sheikh Fahim said the port's location outside the Strait of Hormuz has made it an increasingly valuable alternative trade route during recent periods of regional tension, including disruptions linked to the conflict between the United States and Iran. That geographic advantage, he said, has drawn growing interest from shipping and logistics companies looking to diversify their trade routes.
He added that over the past six months, Sharjah officials have been receiving weekly inquiries from potential investors seeking information about logistics infrastructure projects tied to the port's expansion plans. He described the level of interest as a sign of global market confidence in Khor Fakkan's strategic position.
Sharjah authorities did not disclose the exact investment figure required for the expansion, but officials stressed that the plan forms part of the emirate's long-term strategy to strengthen its role in Gulf and Indian Ocean maritime trade chains.
Economic observers note that as container traffic volumes in the region continue to grow and global shipping firms increasingly seek to diversify away from geopolitically sensitive chokepoints, ports like Khor Fakkan that sit outside such flashpoints are well positioned to capture a larger share of regional maritime trade in the years ahead.
The expansion adds to a broader push by Sharjah to position itself as a logistics and trade hub distinct from, but complementary to, Dubai's larger port and free zone network.