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An‘ integrated ecosystem’
Gulftainer unveils $ 2 billion Middle East logistics expansion plan
By Greg Knowler
United Arab Emirates-based port operator Gulftainer has unveiled plans to expand its Khorfakkan Commercial Terminal from 3.5 million TEUs to 10 million TEUs as part of an ambitious drive to create a Middle East“ integrated logistics ecosystem.”
The port expansion will be part of a long-term master plan by Gulftainer to position the UAE at the heart of strategic trade corridors connecting the Indian subcontinent, China, East Africa and Gulf Cooperation Council( GCC) countries. Gulftainer did not provide a timeline nor a cost figure for the expansion, but The National reported the investment will total $ 2 billion.
“ For nearly 50 years, Gulftainer connected ports— the next 50 years will be about connecting economies,” group CEO Farid Belbouab said in a statement, adding that the future of trade will not be determined by individual ports or isolated logistics assets.
“ Global trade is changing fundamentally,” Belbouab said.“ Customers are no longer looking for isolated logistics services— they are looking for resilient, intelligent and fully integrated supply chain solutions.”
Sharjah-based Gulftainer is the third Emirati ports company to embark on an integrated logistics plan, following larger Dubai-based neighbor DP World and Abu Dhabi-based AD Ports.
The expansion announcement is also the latest in a flurry of recent activity in the port investment sector as carriers and terminal operators seek greater control of their end-to-end operations.
CMA CGM signed a $ 400 million agreement with Omani state-owned Asyad Group to develop and operate a multipurpose logistics terminal in the strategically positioned Port of Sohar, while Singaporean terminal operator PSA signed a $ 945 million deal to jointly develop a fourberth terminal at Vietnam’ s Lach Huyen deep-sea port complex in Haiphong.
Mediterranean Shipping Co.( MSC), through its Terminal Investment Limited( TiL) arm, on June 30 announced plans to invest $ 1.4 billion for a 49 % stake in
18 Journal of Commerce | August 3, 2026 www. joc. com