A Kalmar empty container handler at work.

Middle-eastern port operator DP World has invested in 23 Kalmar empty container handlers (ECHs) for its Port Rashid and Jebel Ali Port facilities.

The ECHs capable of stacking eight foot (2.44 metre) six inch (15.2 centimetre) containers eight high is in addition to more than 50 ECHs delivered to DP World in the past four years.

DP World has been a long-time Kalmar customer, taking delivery of five to 10 units annually. Delivery of the current order will be completed by early 2006.

DP World's history with Kalmar includes operating more than 40 Kalmar staddler carriers at Port Rashid. At Jeddah and Djibouti ports, DP World operates Kalmar rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) and at Jebel Ali, it has retrofitted dozens of RTGs with Kalmar's patented Smartrail autosteering and container position verification system.

Jebel Ali, 25km south of Dubai, is the largest duty free port in the Middle East.

In 2004, Dubai Ports, consisting of Jebel Ali Port and Port Rashid, reported a 20 per cent growth in container traffic, making them the 10th busiest container ports in the world with a total of 6.42 million TEUs handled.