DP World Plans New Fujairah Hub To Reduce Reliance On Hormuz

DP World, the Dubai-based ports operator with a direct presence at Limassol port, is advancing plans for a new gateway on the UAE’s east coast that would allow cargo to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, as rising tensions with Iran prompt Gulf economies to strengthen the resilience of their trade routes.

A Strategic Shift In Gulf Logistics

According to an exclusive Financial Times report, the company is in talks to develop a new multipurpose port on the Fujairah coast, alongside a container terminal at the emirate’s existing port. Reuters said it had not independently verified the plans.

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The development is particularly relevant for Cyprus because DP World operates the multipurpose and cruise terminal at Limassol port. DP World Cyprus holds a 25-year concession covering general cargo, break-bulk, Ro-Ro and passenger operations, while fellow group company P&O Maritime has a separate 15-year concession for marine services, including towage and pilotage.

Why Fujairah Matters

The proposed facilities would expand DP World’s presence on the Gulf of Oman and create an alternative logistics corridor outside the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically sensitive shipping routes. Cargo could be unloaded in Fujairah before being transported by road to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other Gulf markets.

A senior company official told the Financial Times the port could be completed within 18 months. While DP World declined to confirm the individual projects, it said “plans are in the works” to address ongoing disruption.

Jebel Ali Remains The Anchor

Even so, the Fujairah development would not supplant Jebel Ali, the flagship of Dubai’s emergence as a global logistics and re-export hub. Jebel Ali handled 15.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2025, representing a substantial share of DP World’s global container volumes. A senior official told the FT that Jebel Ali would “never shrink,” indicating that Fujairah would function as an alternative lane rather than a rival hub.

That distinction matters. Jebel Ali’s warehouses, free zone and industrial ecosystem were built on the assumption that vessels would continue to pass freely through Hormuz. The conflict that began on February 28, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, has exposed the vulnerability of concentrating so much of the region’s trade infrastructure inside the Gulf.

The Pressure On Maritime Trade Keeps Rising

The latest shipping data reinforced that concern. Reuters reported that only six vessels crossed the strait on Sunday, the lowest level in five weeks, as renewed U.S.-Iranian strikes and attacks on commercial shipping increased safety fears. Oil and gas tanker traffic also fell to its lowest point since May 25.

Meanwhile, the WTO’s Strait of Hormuz trade tracker showed only limited and uneven signs of recovery after the June 17 agreement, with crude, liquefied natural gas and fertiliser flows still well below normal levels.

A Chokepoint No Longer Seen As Reliable

The threat intensified further on Tuesday when UAE authorities said Iranian cruise missiles struck two Emirati tankers, killing one sailor and injuring eight others. The attack sharpened the case for diversification and highlighted the commercial logic behind DP World’s eastward expansion.

In that context, the Fujairah project is not simply about adding capacity. It is about building resilience into the UAE’s trade architecture and reducing exposure to a chokepoint that can no longer be treated as reliably open.

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Europe’s Deadly Summer Heat Exposed The Cost Of A Warming Continent

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 23, 2026

Europe experienced its deadliest summer for heat-related deaths on record in 2026, with an estimated 24,400 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures across 30 countries. Researchers estimate that human-induced climate change was responsible for around 32,000 of the deaths attributed to heat in the study’s broader analysis, accounting for 65% of the total.

The findings highlight the growing public-health consequences of global warming, largely driven by fossil fuel use, as extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe.

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A Summer Of Dangerous Heat

Between June and August, heatwaves pushed temperatures in Western Europe to an average of 2.9°C above the 1991–2020 norm, with some days reaching 12°C above average. Nearly a third of estimated heat-related deaths occurred during a particularly intense heatwave between 17 June and 1 July.

“These numbers are a stark reminder that our hotter, more extreme summers are having an increasingly severe impact on public health,” said Dr Clair Barnes, a researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study.

The estimated toll exceeded previous peaks of around 29,000 deaths in summer 2022 and 28,000 in 2003 across the region studied.

How Researchers Estimated The Toll

Researchers modelled the relationship between temperature and mortality across 854 urban areas in the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland, covering around 40% of the population in the 30 countries studied.

The analysis incorporated temperature records, age, socioeconomic conditions, environmental factors and access to healthcare. By comparing actual temperatures with those expected without human-induced warming, the team estimated the additional deaths attributable to climate change.

Final official mortality figures for summer 2026 are not yet available in many countries, and heat-related deaths are often underreported because their effects can be difficult to identify directly.

Older People Face The Greatest Risk

People aged 85 and over accounted for roughly half of the estimated deaths. However, the impact extended across age groups, with around 800 excess deaths among adults aged 20–44 and approximately 6,000 among people under 65.

Southern Europe experienced the highest mortality burden, reflecting hotter temperatures and other vulnerabilities, including air pollution, limited green space and unequal access to healthcare and heat-alert systems.

Italy, France And Spain Record Highest Toll

Italy recorded an estimated 13,303 heat-related excess deaths, followed by France with 7,268 and Spain with 6,824. Germany recorded around 6,340, while the UK saw an estimated 4,354 deaths.

In the UK, the heat also placed significant pressure on healthcare services. Andrew Hartle, Professor of Practice of Anaesthesia at Imperial College Healthcare, said demand during the summer resembled that of a severe winter virus season.

Cities Urged To Strengthen Heat Protection

Researchers say cities can reduce the risks through climate shelters, external shading and building retrofits, alongside measures to help residents avoid exposure during the hottest hours. Checking on vulnerable people, staying hydrated and following heat alerts are also important.

The researchers stress that adaptation must go hand in hand with reducing fossil fuel use to limit further warming. The findings underline that extreme heat is already a major public-health threat across Europe, with thousands of lives at risk each summer.

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