BUSINESS

Gulftainer inks deal to run Delaware port

September 22, 2018




Gov. John Carney (right), Governor of the State of Delaware, shakes hands with Badr Jafar, Chairman of Gulftainer’s Executive Board, at the signing of agreement
Gov. John Carney (right), Governor of the State of Delaware, shakes hands with Badr Jafar, Chairman of Gulftainer’s Executive Board, at the signing of agreement

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ULFTAINER, the world’s largest privately-owned independent port operator and logistics company based in the UAE, finalized a 50-year concession with the State of Delaware in the USA to operate and develop the Port of Wilmington, significantly expanding the company’s global footprint and reach. The agreement, signed by Gulftainer’s subsidiary GT USA, will see an expected investment of up to $600 million in the port to upgrade and expand the terminal and to turn it into one of the largest facilities of its kind on the Eastern Seaboard.

The port deal represents the largest operation ever run by a UAE company in the United States, as well as the largest investment ever by a private UAE company in the country.

At a public signing ceremony held in Wilmington, Governor John Carney of Delaware signed the agreement with Badr Jafar, Chairman of the Executive Board of Gulftainer, in the presence of Delaware Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock and other state officials, as well as H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE Ambassador to the US and other dignitaries.

The 50-year concession follows a year of negotiations and a thorough evaluation of Gulftainer’s capabilities globally, including in the USA, where it currently operates the Canaveral Cargo Terminal in Port Canaveral, Florida and provides services to the US Armed Forces as well as the US Space Industry. The Delaware concession agreement completes a preliminary agreement between Gulftainer and the State of Delaware, as well as the completion of a formal review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), granting Gulftainer exclusive rights to manage the Port.

Gov. John Carney, Governor of the State of Delaware, said: «This historic agreement will result in significant new investment in the Port of Wilmington, which has long been one of Delaware›s most important industrial job centers. For decades, jobs at the Port have helped stabilize Delaware families and the communities where they live. I was proud to help make our partnership with Gulftainer official today, and I want to thank members of the General Assembly, the Diamond State Port Corporation, Gulftainer, and all of our partners who have helped make this agreement a reality.»

Gulftainer plans to invest up to $600 million in the port, including $400 million on a new 1.2 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) container facility at DuPont’s former Edgemoor site, which was acquired by the Diamond State Port Corporation in 2016.

Badr Jafar, Chairman of Gulftainer’s Executive Board, said: “We are proud to be making this long-term commitment to the State of Delaware, its community and its economy. This landmark agreement builds on Gulftainer’s 43-year track record.” — SG


September 22, 2018
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