Facility Would Link Industrial Zones to Seaports and Shift Cargo From Road to Rail
By Simon West
Gulftainer is in advanced talks with the Uganda government to develop the country’s first rail-connected dry port, a project aimed at easing cargo bottlenecks and cutting logistics costs in the landlocked East African nation.
Gulftainer CEO Farid Belbouab met President Yoweri Museveni and senior cabinet members in Kampala to discuss plans for a logistics hub that would connect industrial zones to seaports and shift container traffic from road to rail.
The facility would “enhance Uganda’s competitiveness as a gateway for East African trade,” Gulftainer said.
“Uganda is one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, with strong potential to emerge as a key logistics hub for East Africa," it added. "The dry port project marks a pivotal moment for Uganda’s trade and logistics landscape.”
Gulftainer, established in 1976, operates the Sharjah Container Terminal and Khorfakkan Container Terminal in the UAE, the Jubail Commercial Port in Saudi Arabia and the Iraq Container Terminal at Umm Qasr, Iraq's sole deep water port.
It also manages the Canaveral Cargo Terminal in Florida. The company is billed as the first and only Middle East-based operator to manage a U.S. port.
Gulftainer is the parent company of 3PL provider Momentum Logistics.
Read more: Uganda: A Land of Projects
Gulftainer will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Middle East 2026.
PHOTO: Gulftainer's Jubail Container Port in Saudi Arabia. CREDIT: Gulftainer