DP World and the Fujairah Ports Authority have signed a 50-year concession to develop two multi-purpose ports on the UAE’s Arabian Sea coast, a move that will lift the company’s national container-handling capacity from 19.4 million TEU to nearly 22 million TEU. The Al Rughailat terminal is designed for 2.5 million TEU, 1.7 million tonnes of general cargo and 190,000 car-equivalent units annually, while the Dibba Al Fujairah terminal adds 3.6 million tonnes of general-cargo capacity. Construction is expected to take 24 to 30 months from commencement, with the project delivered in phases.

Viewed from Gulf capitals, the investment is a direct response to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where vessel transits have fallen sharply amid the US-Iran military escalation that began in late February. By creating a deep-water gateway outside the strait, capable of handling the latest ultra-large container vessels, the UAE aims to insulate its trade flows from chokepoint risk. The new ports will be linked to Jebel Ali Port and its free zone via DP World’s domestic logistics network, extending an integrated supply chain from the Gulf of Oman to Dubai’s industrial hinterland.

In a parallel development, Turkey’s Tiryaki Agro signed a memorandum of understanding with the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority to explore the long-term development and operation of the Port of Tadjourah. The framework, supported by IFC feasibility studies, targets agricultural trade, supply-chain resilience and food security across the Horn of Africa. Subject to subsequent negotiations, the parties aim to conclude a definitive concession agreement, positioning Djibouti as a logistics bridge between Africa, the Middle East and global markets.

Separately, Abu Dhabi launched Marsa Al Saadiyat, a Dh100 billion waterfront district that forms the final phase of the Saadiyat Island masterplan. Aldar is the master developer for the 6.4 million-square-metre project, which will house over 58,000 residents and feature the emirate’s largest marina. Sales of the first homes begin in the second half of 2026, with enabling works starting in the third quarter. The launch, attended by Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, signals continued long-term confidence in the emirate’s real-estate market.

Together, the three initiatives illustrate a broader Gulf strategy of channelling capital into infrastructure that both hedges against geopolitical disruption and anchors domestic economic diversification. The next concrete milestones are the start of construction at Al Rughailat and Dibba, the negotiation of a final concession for Tadjourah, and the opening of home sales at Marsa Al Saadiyat later this year.