Gulftainer, the world’s largest privately owned independent port operator based in the UAE, will host a ceremony to commence the construction of the Saja’a Permanent Access Road. The company’s AED11 million investment in the road extension aligns with its objective to play a key role in driving Sharjah’s economy.

The highway will extend over two kilometres to link the Saja’a Industrial Investment Park (SIIP), Gulftainer’s first-ever leasehold initiative, via the Emirates Road (E611), to the three major seaports in Sharjah – Port Khalid, Hamriyah Port and Khorfakkan Port. Spanning an area of 750,000 square metres, SIIP is set to become a fully bonded logistics facility with goods imported under bond exempt from duty or VAT until released to the local market. Moreover, the mixed use development will also offer convenient access to premier air and sea hubs as well as connectivity within the UAE and beyond.

Speaking on the importance of the project, Peter Richards, Group CEO of Gulftainer, said: “We are delighted to announce the start of construction of the crucial road extension that, once completed, will significantly improve transport links between the Saja’a Industrial Investment Part and the three seaports of Sharjah. Gulftainer has been part of the emirate’s growth story for over four decades. Our investment testifies to our commitment to fuelling Sharjah’s economy and enhancing the emirate’s global competitiveness ranking.”

SIIP is being designed with the scalability and flexibility to accommodate warehouse space of varied size, modern light industrial units, offices, employee accommodation and multiple other options. The industrial park aims to address the growing demand for logistics facilities in the UAE in the run-up to mega events such as Expo 2020.