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The
region's continuing prosperity is mainly
due to its massive oil reserves , with
Abu Dhabi possessing 95% of the U.A.E.'s
resources. About 2.4 million barrels
are pumped every day and experts predict
that the Emirate - the world's 10th
largest oil producer - has reserves
for the next 200 years.
Abu
Dhabi also controls the largest share
of the U.A.E's gas reserves, with an
increasing amount of natural gas being
processed for export. A huge investment
programme is underway to upgrade both
oil refineries and gas processing systems
especially on Das Island, from which
liquefied natural gas is exported.
Historically,
the Emirate owes much of its wealth
to pearls from the Gulf, so it was fitting
that the sea also yielded the U.A.E's
next precious commodity -"Black
Gold".
Abu Dhabi continues to go from strength
to strength, with the ever increasing
number of sky-scrapers dominating the
city's stunning skyline acting as testimony
to its success.
Traders and businessmen in the Abu Dhabi
Emirate had seen difficult days before
the construction of Port Zayed. Finding
it impossible to enter the shallow waters
of the Abu Dhabi beach, the cargo ships
used to dock about 8km away from the
coast and unload their shipments on
barges and small dhows which then transported
the cargo to the beach.
This
was a labourious and costly job for
the importers, exporters and the shipowners
due to the high cost of loading and
unloading and the long periods that
ships had to stay out in the sea, particularly
when bad weather delayed the arrival
of barges, and due to slow handling
process.
The
history of Mina Zayed (or Port Zayed)
is the history of the UAE Federation.
The construction of this Port started
in 1968 in fulfillment of the directives
of His Highness Sh. Zayed Bin Sultan
Al-Nahyan, in his capacity as ruler
of Abu Dhabi Emirate at that time. However,
the Port was officially inaugurated
by His Highness Sh. Zayed in 1972 in
his capacity as the President of the
UAE.
Port
Zayed as the main gate of the Abu Dhabi
Emirate to the outside world extends
valuable services to a wide range of
private and public sectors including
the shipping lines, shipping agents,
importers, businessmen and other port
users.
The
unique location of the Port with its
great potential allows it to play a
major role in the Gulf region and the
Middle East. The total area of the Seaport
is 510 hectares in addition to 1000
square meters being the area of the
Free Port. Port Zayed has presently
21 berths with individual depths varying
between 9.5 and 15 meters, allowing
the arrival of all types of commercial
trans-ocean ships.
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