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UAE’s eastern ports, free zones reshape global trade after conflict, sign mega deals
Significance of ports and facilities in Fujairah and Khorfakkan has expanded rapidly after regional war, as major local companies move to strengthen supply chain resilience and diversify trade routes
- PUBLISHED: Tue 26 May 2026, 1:11 PM UPDATED: Tue 26 May 2026, 1:12 PM
Ports and facilities in Fujairah and Khorfakkan have drawn strong interest in recent months, with deals worth billions of dirhams signed to develop logistics, industrial and export capabilities.
Fujairah Terminals, part of AD Ports Group, recently signed three strategic land lease agreements with Fujairah International Airport, Fujairah Free Zone Authority and Al Dahra Agriculture Trading.
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The agreements are designed to enhance connectivity and unlock new commercial opportunities across regional and international markets. They will support the development of logistics and industrial capacity, improve the utilisation of port and adjacent infrastructure, and strengthen service integration across the supply chain.
The leased plots, with a combined area of 130,000 square metres, will be used to bolster the logistics capabilities of Fujairah Terminals, reinforcing Fujairah’s role as a key gateway for regional and global trade and supporting the UAE’s position as a leading hub for logistics, maritime services and industrial growth.
Fujairah Terminals is a strategic maritime hub on the UAE’s eastern coast, serving as a gateway for trade with the Indian Subcontinent, African trade lanes and wider global markets. The terminal features a multi-purpose facility handling containerised and general cargo, Ro-Ro and cruise operations. Its quay wall extends 1,000 metres, with a depth of 15 metres, allowing the terminal to accommodate larger vessels.
“This collaboration marks an important step in advancing Fujairah Free Zone Authority’s mission to provide an integrated, business-friendly environment that supports innovation and sustainable growth,” said Sharief Habib Al Awadhi, Director General, Fujairah Free Zone Authority. “By strengthening partnerships across key sectors, we continue to enhance our offering to investors while contributing to the development of a resilient and future-ready economy.”
“By expanding partnerships across logistics, infrastructure and key industries, we are enabling greater connectivity, enhancing supply chain resilience, and supporting the continued growth and diversification of Fujairah’s trade ecosystem,” said Captain Mohamed Al Yahyaei, CEO of Fujairah Terminals.
Alternative corridors
Speaking at the GLOBSEC Forum 2026 in Prague recently, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister for Foreign Trade, outlined the immediate and structural measures the UAE has implemented since the onset of the conflict. These include activating alternative trade corridors through the UAE’s eastern ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan, establishing air freight bridges for time-critical pharmaceutical and food cargo, launching a Green Corridor with Oman, and developing a new Sharjah-Dammam trade bridge.
AD Ports Group signed a partnership agreement with Borouge, the petrochemical company, to explore expanded collaboration aimed at enhancing export resilience and operational flexibility.
The agreement paves the way for both parties to work on establishing an alternative international export hub on the UAE’s East Coast as an essential component of Borouge’s long-term export strategy. The initiative is intended to strengthen export continuity while embedding resilience by design across Borouge’s logistics network.
The collaboration will leverage AD Ports Group’s strong marine connectivity and its comprehensive port services at Fujairah Terminals and other eastern ports facilities in the UAE, while assessing the development of dedicated polyolefins infrastructure on the East Coast.
Both firms will also examine ways to reduce reliance on constrained maritime passages and increase flexibility in vessel scheduling and routing through joint engagement with shipping lines to enable new routes via Fujairah Terminals to support stable and reliable export flows across a diversified portfolio of ports and logistics facilities.
