Pakistan has initiated a new feeder shipping service that connects Karachi Port with Fujairah and Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), thereby improving access for Pakistani traders to the global shipping network.
Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced that Karachi Gateway Terminal (Private) Limited (KGTL), a significant partner of Karachi Port Trust (KPT), will manage the dedicated feeder service linking Karachi with Fujairah and Khorfakkan in UAE.
“A regular shipping service from Karachi Gateway Terminal to Fujairah and Khorfakkan has commenced. This new feeder service represents a crucial advancement in trans-shipment,” Chaudhry stated.
He also mentioned that the inaugural feeder ship arrived at Karachi Gateway Terminal on March 11.
Karachi now connected with two major shipment hubs
The minister emphasised that this service connects Karachi with two major regional trans-shipment hubs, providing Pakistani importers and exporters with reliable access to global container shipping networks.
The service will dock at KGTL, which functions as part of AD Ports Group’s international operating division, Noatum Ports.
The minister noted that the feeder link bolsters supply chain continuity and ensures that Pakistan’s trade retains reliable access to international markets.
The Port of Fujairah is situated in Fujairah, one of the seven emirates of the UAE. Khorfakkan is a coastal city and eastern exclave of the emirate of Sharjah, where the Hajar Mountains converge with the Gulf of Oman.
Pakistan began the development of its national shipping fleet shortly after gaining independence, growing from merely three merchant vessels in 1947 to 41 ships by the 1960s, as policymakers aimed to diminish dependence on foreign carriers.
PNSC now operates only 13 vessels
By 1982, the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) achieved its independence with a fleet comprising 45 vessels, which included oil tankers, bulk carriers, and general cargo ships, thereby facilitating the transportation of essential imports and exports while also generating profits and dividends for the national treasury.
Nevertheless, this upward trend has experienced a significant reversal. Currently, PNSC operates only 13 vessels, with approximately half of the fleet being over 20 years old.
Although the corporation reported a net profit in the fiscal year 2024–25, these figures mask more profound structural vulnerabilities and intermittent declines.
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