Seaport Consultants Canada Inc. prepared the traffic forecast and assisted the prime consultant BMT Maritime Consultants with other aspects of the strategy and business plan for Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi. The port will include multi-purpose facilities to handle containers, break-bulk and bulk cargoes and be an integral part of the adjacent Khalifa Port Industrial Zone (KPIZ), a free-trade area. As part of our work, Seaport evaluated alternatives for container terminal operations. The options included a commercial state company comparable to Dubai Ports World, a major international container terminal operating company and a major shipping line.

 Seaport's work in the project included:

• Review of traffic in the Arabian Gulf

• Review of world, regional and local container trades

• Investigation of industrial development associated with the new port such as aluminum plants and steel mills

• Projections of the market for the new Khalifa Port

• Evaluation of competitiveness with regional ports, particularly Jebel Ali in Dubai

• Review of regional port tariffs and development of a tariff schedule for port

• Development of an overall strategy and business plan for port