DP World boosts automotive capacity with expanded vehicle yard at Jebel Ali Port

DP World has expanded automotive logistics capacity at Jebel Ali Port with the launch of a 2.6 million sq ft vehicle storage yard at Terminal 4, adding 13,000 car equivalent units (CEUs) and boosting total capacity to 75,000 CEUs. The facility features an 800-metre quay capable of berthing up to three Ro-Ro vessels at once.

The relocation of Ro-Ro operations from Terminal 1 to the purpose-built zone at Terminal 4 is designed to free up berths, shorten vessel turnaround times, and optimise port space to handle rising demand and future volumes.

The upgrade comes amid strong growth in vehicle throughput — Jebel Ali handled 545,000 vehicles in the first half of 2025, up 28% year-on-year, with imports making up 65% of the total, mainly from China, Japan, Thailand, India and South Korea.

The project forms part of DP World’s wider automotive growth strategy, which also includes developing a 20 million sq ft advanced car market in Dubai. In a related expansion, the company last month opened an 8,250 sq m chemicals warehouse at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges to strengthen its position in European hazardous goods logistics.