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.
