Critical minerals and project cargo are high growth sectors
RAK Ports is a dynamic network of four ports, serving as a central hub for international trade and manufacturing.
RAK Ports offers a comprehensive range of essential services, including Breakbulk & Project Cargo Terminals, Bulk Cargo Terminals–Cape Size Draft, International Container Terminals, Freezone with direct quayside access & Mainland Leases, Ship Repair & Yacht Manufacturing Hub, Quayside Warehousing and Marine & Anchorage Layby.
RAK Ports’ flagship Saqr Port is the largest bulk port in the Middle East and Africa, handling over 65mn tonnes of cargo annually, with capability to berth Capesize vessels. It also features a container terminal with a capacity of 350,000 TEUs. Ras Al Khaimah Ports.
To get the lowdown on RAK Ports and the latest developments, LogisticsGulf.com interviewed Hugh Cox, Chief Commercial Officer, RAK Ports, on the sidelines of the recently concluded Bulk Break Middle East 2026 held at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 2 and 3 February 2026.
LogisticsGulf.com (LG): By what yardstick does RAK Ports decide which Africa linked trades are worth pursuing?
Hugh Cox (HC): We evaluate Africa linked opportunities through three criteria: strategic relevance, logistics efficiency, and long term viability. Africa is already one of our strongest corridors – RAK Ports has exported 12mn tonnes of clinker to 28 African markets in the past five years.
We prioritise routes where our deep water capacity, Capesize ready berths, and uncongested infrastructure materially reduce cost and time for African importers. We also focus on markets where infrastructure development is accelerating, and where customers need reliability amid regional congestion and geopolitical uncertainty.
LG: What commercial risks come with specialising too narrowly in critical minerals or project cargo?
HC: Critical minerals and project cargo are high growth sectors, but also volatile. Risks include price swings, geopolitical exposure, supply concentration, and episodic demand cycles tied to large EPC projects. Regulatory shifts or ESG driven restrictions can also disrupt flows quickly.
RAK Ports mitigates these risks through a deliberately diversified portfolio – liquid bulk, dry bulk, breakbulk, agribulk, and manufacturing tenants – supported by assets such as Saqr 2.0’s 35,000 MT heavy lift pad, 50 metre wide road corridors, deep berths, and multi assembly areas. Our strategy avoids over reliance on any single commodity or cycle.
LG: As trade flows evolve, which investments or capabilities are most critical for RAK Ports to protect its market relevance?
HC: Three pillars underpin our long term relevance:
Deep water, scalable infrastructure – Saqr 2.0 provides 14–24m drafts, multi cargo terminals, and the region’s most advanced project cargo berths.
Integrated industrial port ecosystem–With 6–15mn sqm of free zone land, quayside connected plots, and fabrication zones, we enable manufacturers to co locate at the port.
Heavy lift and oversized cargo capability–Modern energy, renewables, and mega infrastructure projects require large, pre assembled modules. Saqr 2.0’s heavy lift pad, open yard adjacency, and 50 m wide road corridors create the Gulf’s most efficient oversized cargo environment.
These investments ensure RAK Ports remains competitive as global supply chains become more reliability and efficiency driven.
LG: How is RAK Ports adapting its commercial strategy to manage supply chain disruption and geopolitical volatility?
HC: We focus on resilience by design. Saqr 2.0 eliminates typical bottlenecks – no bridges, roundabouts, curfews or city restricted access routes – ensuring uninterrupted movement of oversized cargo. Deep water access enables fewer, larger vessels with more stable scheduling.
Commercially, we diversify across Africa, India, the Gulf and Asia to reduce regional dependency. Our position along the Gulf–ISC shipping lane gives customers up to 140 nautical miles and 14 hours of voyage savings, plus major reductions in anchorage delays, bunker costs and emissions.
By integrating port handling, free zone manufacturing, and multimodal corridors, we reduce customers’ exposure to upstream and downstream disruptions.
LG: In practical terms, how does the partnership with Jianhua Holdings and PHC Technologies strengthen Ras Al Khaimah’s industrial base and long term cargo potential?
HC: The AED 120mn PHC Piles Facility is a landmark industrial addition to RAK Maritime City. It introduces advanced Chinese manufacturing technology, creates up to 500 jobs, and expands the region’s construction materials ecosystem.
Operationally, the plant is fully aligned with Saqr 2.0: it uses deep water berths, direct quayside access, and dedicated logistics corridors, enabling efficient export of heavy, oversized piles and consumption of local raw materials from nearby quarries.
The factory is expected to generate over 1mn tonnes of annual trade, while significantly increasing two way trade – raw materials inbound and high value precast products outbound. It strengthens RAK’s position as a regional hub for sustainable, high performance building materials.
LG: Looking ahead five years, how do you see RAK Ports positioned within the regional port and industrial ecosystem?
HC: RAK Ports will emerge as the Gulf’s most integrated industrial maritime platform – a hybrid of deep water port, logistics hub and manufacturing zone.
With Phase 1 of Saqr 2.0 operational by 2027, RAK will offer unmatched heavy lift capabilities, fabrication adjacency, deep drafts and quayside connected industrial land. We anticipate greater project cargo flows linked to offshore wind, oil & gas modules, refiners, transformers and mega infrastructure projects.
Our efficiency advantage – particularly reduced sailing deviation and faster vessel turnaround – positions us as the preferred origin for Africa, India and Europe bound project cargo. In five years, RAK Ports will be known not just for volume but for industrial competitiveness and supply chain certainty.
LG: What are your expansion plans going ahead?
HC: Our expansion strategy centres on three priorities:
Priority 1. Saqr 2.0 Multi Phase Build Out.
Adding ~10 new berths in Phase 1.
Deepening drafts to 14–24 m.
Expanding the free zone to 15mn sqm in later phases.
Building VLCC class liquid bulk infrastructure.
Priority 2. Strengthening the Project Cargo Platform
New heavy lift pads and assembly zones.
Additional 50 m wide road corridors for ultra wide cargo.
Enhanced Ro Ro and semi submersible berthing capability.
Priority 3. Growing Adjacent Industrial Clusters
Attracting more manufacturing players like Jianhua, targeting materials, renewables, EPC fabrication and low carbon industries.
Expanding agribulk and liquid bulk capacity through dedicated terminals.
These investments ensure RAK Ports remains future ready and deeply integrated into energy, construction and logistics value chains across the Middle East, Africa and beyond.
Profile
Hugh Cox serves as Chief Commercial Officer for RAK Ports, leading the Group’s commercial strategy and international growth initiatives.
A senior ports and supply chain leader, Hugh brings over a decade of experience in global infrastructure, spanning ports, heavy industry, and complex logistics ecosystems. His proven track record in driving commercial expansion, operational efficiency, and strategic partnerships continues to play a pivotal role as RAK Ports evolves into new industries and expands its presence across domestic and international markets.
Prior to joining RAK Ports, Hugh was Head of Commercial at DP World, where he spearheaded the Group’s expansion and supply chain initiatives, positioning DP World as a key trade enabler in emerging markets.
Since taking on the CCO role, Hugh has focused on building stronger trade corridors between Africa and the Gulf, leveraging SAQR Port as a strategic gateway. The approach emphasizes handling diverse cargo types, including liquid bulk, dry bulk, agricultural commodities, and project cargo, while unlocking new import and export channels.
These initiatives aim to support industrial customers and regional partners in capitalizing on competitive cost-per-ton advantages, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a hub for mineral trade and broader cargo flows across Africa and the Gulf.
His leadership is instrumental in shaping RAK Ports next phase of growth through SAQR 2.0 and the wider free zone ecosystem.
