ع
Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO of the Sharjah FDI Office, told The Economic Times that the emirate expects $1.5 billion from Indian companies this year and a further $1.5 billion in 2027. The projection represents a 15 percent increase over the previous year. The initiative gains momentum from regional shipping disruptions that have elevated the port’s strategic value for manufacturers and logistics operators seeking reliable Gulf access.
Khorfakkan Port lies on the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz, positioning it as a gateway for trade with India and onward markets including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq, according to Al Musharrkh. “Khorfakkan Port is a gateway to the region and is strategically located for trade with India and other markets,” he said. “I think this will definitely increase trade between India and the UAE. A lot of Indian companies will start using the UAE and Sharjah as a gateway to the region.”
The Sharjah-based operator Gulftainer has accelerated a $2 billion programme that will lift the port’s annual container handling capacity from 3.5 million TEUs to 5 million TEUs in the initial phase, a company statement reported by The National showed. Longer-term targets exceed 10 million TEUs within 36 months while adding 2.3 million TEUs of inland logistics capacity through bonded dry ports at Al Dhaid and Sajaa. Weekly throughput has risen from 8,000 TEUs before recent tensions to 65,000 TEUs, Gulftainer Group CEO Farid Belbouab told Khaleej Times.
Enquiries from the manufacturing, logistics and transportation sectors have surged, Al Musharrkh noted in the interview. “We are getting a lot of enquiries, especially in the manufacturing, logistics and transportation sector,” he said. “There is huge demand for land next to Khorfakkan. Companies are increasingly interested in industrial land, especially in the locations close to the port.”
The push forms part of deepening India-UAE economic relations, with bilateral trade reaching $101.25 billion in fiscal 2026 according to India Brand Equity Foundation figures. The UAE has already invested roughly $25 billion in India and signalled plans for an additional $25 billion, a statement from the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments indicated. Both sides aim to lift total trade to $200 billion by 2032 through expanded cooperation in ports, logistics and supply chains.
Gulftainer’s expansion includes deeper berths, additional cranes and integration with Etihad Rail to create multimodal connectivity, the operator’s announcements stated. Indian firms have joined those relocating or expanding operations from other emirates toward Khorfakkan to secure supply-chain resilience. The developments follow a period in which Hormuz disruptions redirected significant container volumes to east-coast facilities.
