DP World to strengthen partnership with India

DUBAI: Trade between Dubai and India soared to 123.1 billion dirhams in the first six months of 2011, compared to 182.76 billion dirhams in the whole of 2010, according to state-owned port operator DP World.

Trade between India and Dubai is expanding at a rapid pace and as one of the largest marine terminal operators in the Gulf region, DP World is a major facilitator and contributor to this growth, the port operator has said.

Addressing the 7th India Shipping Summit in Mumbai recently, DP World Senior Vice President and Managing Director, UAE Region Mohammed Al Muallem said that Dubai, with its superior supply chain infrastructure, is the preferred commercial gateway to the UAE and other GCC markets.

"Indian exporters and importers have been among DP World's most valued business partners and will remain so for a long time to come," he said.

India is also the top ranking non-oil trading partner of the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region as a whole.

Pointing out that the GCC region -- comprising Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain -- remains a major export destination for Indian businesses, Al Muallem said: "India has always been an important commercial partner of the UAE and an important destination of DP World's investments in port infrastructure. We are committed to building on this partnership, with our flagship Jebel Ali Port continuing to play its role as a trade catalyst between India and the rest of the world," he said.

Dubai Ports World operates five marine terminals in India and is developing a new terminal at Kulpi, in West Bengal.

Its Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), inaugurated in February, is a $ 600 million public-private partnership (PPP) project with the Indian government.