Dubai Ports secures first port contract in Europe

Dubai Ports secures first port contract in Europe    Dubai Ports has won an 18-year concession to operate a container terminal in the port Constantza in Romania, the first management contract in Europe secured by the United Arab Emirates-based port operator.
   Dubai Ports International, the international port management and consulting division of Dubai Ports, has been nominated as the “successful bidder,” following competition against Contship Italia, Dragados of Spain, HiliPort of Malta, and local bidders.
   Dubai Ports already has activities in Saudi Arabia (Jeddah), Africa (Djibouti) and the Indian Subcontinent (Visakhapatnam).
   Operations at the Constantza box terminal are expected to start in the first quarter of 2004. Dubai Ports is planning to order additional handling equipment to nearly triple the terminal's throughput to 900,000 TEUs.
   “The terminal will be the biggest in the Black Sea,” Dubai Ports said.
   Dubai Ports believes that Constantza could become the economic and multi-modal transportation hub for the Black Sea region, given the limited facilities and congestion at other Black Sea ports. Mediterranean Shipping Co. and CMA CGM have both recently started direct services to the Black Sea port from the Asia.