Central Asia freight corridor planned
Dubai and Pakistan have strengthened ties with a proposed dedicated freight corridor and economic zone near Karachi.
DP World and state-run Pakistan Railways and Port Qasim Authority will act on behalf of the Dubai and Pakistan governments respectively in developing the projects.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chair of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation in the Dubai government and group chair and chief executive of DP World, said that Pakistan is a growing market and an important trade corridor in central Asia. “New freight systems and enhanced port connectivity and investment will help serve Pakistan’s growing population, forecast to approach 300 million in the coming decade,” he said.
The freight corridor is planned to run from the Port of Karachi on the Arabian Sea, passing through Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city, to the Pipri Marshalling Yard, around 45 kilometres away, helping improve efficiency and reduce transport times and costs.
A second agreement was signed with Pakistan’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs to dredge the navigation channel at Qasim International Container Terminal and a third deal inked to develop an economic zone at Qasim which aims to attract more than US$3 billion in foreign investment.
DP World began operations in Pakistan in 1997 at the Qasim International Container Terminal – the first of its kind in the country.
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