Port Khorfakkan

[Amalia Antill]

It is also a popular spot among domestic tourists due to its white sand beaches and coral reefs that attract many marine life enthusiasts.[2] Khor Fakkan beach lies to the north of the center of the town.[2][3] Khor Fakkan is located on the east coast of the UAE, between the Shumayliyah Mountains and the Arabian Sea, with an altitude of 1,023 meters (3,356 ft) at al Hilqah Mountain (Jebel al Hilqah).[2] The bay of Khor Fakkan faces the northeast and is protected from prevailing winds by a jetty serving terminal for container ships.[2][8] In the mountains of Khor Fakkan and off the Sharjah-Khor Fakkan highway lies the Rifaisa Dam that is considered to have been built over a village, and thus when the water is very quiet, the tops of the old houses are visible.[2][9][10] The development of Al Rifaisa Dam spans an area of 10,684 square meters.[11][12]

Khorfakkan has a long history of human settlement. There is evidence of post holes from the wooden uprights of the traditional barasti huts known as areesh, similar to those found at Tell Abraq which dates from the 3rd to 1st millennium BC.[14] Excavations by a team from the Sharjah Archaeological Museum have identified 34 graves and a settlement belonging to the early-mid 2nd millennium BC. These are clustered on rock outcrops overlooking the harbor.[15]

In 1580 the Venetian jeweler Gasparo Balbi noted "Chorf" in a list of places on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates, which is considered by historians to indicate Khor Fakkan.[18][15] The Portuguese built a fort at Khor Fakkan that was a ruin by 1666. The log book of the Dutch vessel the Meerkat mentions this fort and another one, describing "Gorfacan" as a place on a small bay, with about 200 small houses built from date branches, near the beach.[15] It refers to a triangular Portuguese fortress on the northern side, in ruins, and a fortress on a hill on the southern side, also in ruins, without garrison or artillery.[15] As well as date palms, the Meerkat's log also mentions fig trees, melons, watermelons and myrrh. It notes several wells with "good and fresh water" used for irrigation.One reason suggested for the ruinous state of the forts is an invasion in 1623 of the Persian navy under the control of Omani Sheikh Muhammad Suhari. Suhari, facing a Portuguese counterattack, withdrew to the Portuguese forts, including that of Khorfakkan. When the Persians were expelled, the Portuguese commander Rui Freire urged the people of Khorfakkan to remain loyal to the Portuguese crown and established a Portuguese customs office as well.[19][20]

In 1737, long after the Portuguese had been expelled from Arabia, the Persians again invaded Khor Fakkan, with some 5,000 men and 1,580 horses, with the help of the Dutch, during their intervention in the Omani civil war.[21] In 1765 Khor Fakkan belonged to a sheikh of the Al Qasimi, Sharjah's ruling family, according to the German traveler Carsten Niebuhr. There is a map by the French cartographer Rigobert Bonne dating to about 1770 that shows the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf and includes Khor Fakkan.[5]

At the turn of the 19th century, Lorimer notes that Khor Fakkan had about 5,000 date trees and was home to about 150 houses of Naqbiyin and Arabicised Persians, amounting to some 800 people. The population lived by cultivation and pearling, and the town had seven shops.[22]

The modern Khor Fakkan Container Terminal was inaugurated in 1979, and is the only natural deep-sea port in the region, and one of the top ports in the Emirates for containers.[27][28] The Dh 300 million ($81.75 million) project involved reclaiming some 150,000 square metres (1,600,000 sq ft) to increase the storage capacity and to facilitate large cranes, and 16 metres (52 ft) deep quays to accommodate for major vessels over 400 metres (1,300 ft) in length. As of 2004 it handled 1.6 million TEU's.[28][29]

The port is part of the Maritime Silk Road that runs from the Chinese coast to the south via the southern tip of India to Mombasa, from there through the Red Sea via the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, there to the Upper Adriatic region to the northern Italian hub of Trieste with its rail connections to Central Europe, Eastern Europe and the North Sea.[30][31]

Khor Fakkan lies on the east coast of the UAE, between the Indian Ocean and the Shumayliyyah[32][33] or Western Hajar Mountains.[34][2][3] The bay of Khor Fakkan is north-east facing and is protected from prevailing winds by a jetty serving the container terminal.[2] Tourism is well developed thanks to sandy beaches and the coral reefs that attract many divers. Khor Fakkan Beach lies to the north of the center of the town.[2][3]

From November to April Khor Fakkan is sunny and warm during the day; the evenings are cool and humidity low.[35][36] Daytime temperatures range from 18 to 30 C (64 to 86 F).[35][36] One may expect rain and tropical storms between January and March. The climate warms from May to September with the high temperature at noon in July and August reaching 40 C (104 F). The nights too are warm, with the temperature reaching 36 C (97 F), with high humidity.[35][36][37]

Khor Fakkan has one 4 star holiday beach resort, the Oceanic Hotel.[38] The fish, fruit and vegetable souq is located at the southern end of the corniche and near the main highway.[4] Shees Park, a recreational park is located near the village of Shis.[39][40][41] The highest building in the city is the Al Suhub Rest House, which overlooks Khor Fakkan from a height of 580 metres above sea level.

Gulftainer Company Limited was established in 1976 in the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The company's primary role is to manage and operate the container terminals in Port Khalid and KhorFakkan on behalf of Sharjah Port Authority. The Port of KhorFakkan, United Arab Emirates, is the Indian Ocean location of one of Gulftainer's UAE-based container terminals (KhorFakkan Container Terminal, KCT). KCT is operating 20 ship-to-shore quay cranes to load and unload containers from the shipping vessels. Due to the high costs for the anchoring time for vessels, any docking interruptions or offloading delays must be prevented, because time is pure money.

During anchoring, multiple ship-to-shore cranes are operating at a vessel to minimize the offloading period. While the cranes are moving sidewise to change positions relative to the various container stacks, they often come in close proximity with each other. Furthermore, in order to reach all stacks, they have to move their boom very close to the ship structures such as antennas, radar systems, on-board buildings etc.

To prevent any collision between the boom and the vessel, sensors are placed on the boom in order to indicate a dangerous situation arising and/or to stop the movement of the crane if necessary. In respect of the harsh ambient conditions and rough operation, reliability is a major requirement of such anti-collision systems.

Therefore, the very robust LMS511 2D laser scanner were used in combination with the Flexi Soft safety controller, a first of its kind for this application in the ports industry and known as the Advanced Object Detection System (AODS). By using cyclic test commands to the scanners and monitoring their detection response via alternating switching outputs, especially through the long reach moveable cable, a high degree of diagnostic coverage could be provided.

The importance of this centre is due to the strategic location of the port of Khorfakkan on the major international sea routes between East and West. The port is well equipped with the latest container handling equipment on both quays and storage areas with full back-up transportation for containers to inland destinations.Khorfakkan Customs Centre is mainly involved in clearing containers, however, general cargo is also cleared.

The cruise dock is part of a large container facility. Free shuttle buses will take you to the port entrance as one is not allowed to walk through the port. At the port entrance one will find a fish market (AM only) and a fruit and vegetable market and a few taxis offering tours. From there on it is at least a 20 minute walk to the center of town, where the main highlight is a supermarket and a small souq. The walk is along the corniche and the beach. Keep in mind that temperatures can be high and there are no shady areas.

Across from where the ships dock there is a well stocked and priced duty free store as well as a seaman's cafe with good WiFi. 2 minutes free. $4 per hour. If you look like a "seaman" it might be less.

Set in the splendid natural Bay of Khor Fakkan on the short Gulf of Oman coast of Sharjah, the prominent features are Shark Island and Port Khor Fakkan itself. The town has developed around the bay with the focal point of the economy centered on the expanding container port. The first buildings you notice are the Oceanic Hotel with its porthole style windows and above, the Ruler of Sharjah's Palace, high up on the hilltop.

Khor Fakkan is a popular local tourism spot, surrounded with huge mountains and attractive beaches. Its most famous hotel is the Oceanic. It also features coral outcrops suitable for diving and snorkeling. Tourism is somewhat held back by Sharjah's ban on alcohol.

The Heritage District of Sharjah city is dominated by the Sharjah Fort Museum. The fort itself has been lovingly restored by the present Sheikh, and the museum provides something of a glimpse at social history of the Emirate. Many exhibit signs, however, are solely in Arabic, with those in English often being rife with errors.

Also in the Heritage District is the Islamic Museum. This is a fascinating place for any visitors with an interest in the faith, as there are handwritten Qur'ans, letters from the Prophet to other leaders of the time and various artifacts from Mecca itself. There is also a comprehensive display of Arab handicrafts. Most sites in the Heritage District have certain opening times set aside solely for women. Visitors of both genders should make certain of these on arrival in the city.

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