Old Bastakia

Dubai Ports' One Millionth Container

Celebrations at Port Rashid: 1991

1991 saw Dubai's Port Rashid and Jebel Ali Port merge into new Dubai Ports Authority with one million container handled since Port Rashid Container Terminal opened in 1976.

Royal Marines Band of the British Army was on a regional "Goodwill" Tour and provided the highlight of the evening. But the centrepiece was a newly painted and decorated 40 foot shipping container. The Band was to make a dramatic entrance by marching out of the Container! But Shipping Containers are not designed for carrying people!

and the Band Played On......

Events in Old Dubai rarely started on time. Everyone waited - including 45 Band Members hidden inside the 40 foot Container. It was a pleasantly warm Dubai evening. It wasn't inside the Container! Eventually the Container wheeled on "stage". Container doors opened but no Marine Band appeared. No music was heard. Inside the Container Marine Bandmen were busily sucking in cool fresh night air and letting their eyes adjust to the sudden light. Playing music was not a priority! Slowly they recovered, reorganised then marched out to start the celebrations led by Sheikh Mohammed.

Milestone for Dubai's Ports

This event marked the start of Dubai Ports' remarkable growth to become one of the biggest Container Terminals in the World and Dubai Ports Authority's successor, DP World, one of the World's top Container Terminal Operating Companies.

What is a TEU?

TEU -- Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit. A unit of measurement of the cargo carrying capacity of a containership. A standard shipping container is 20 ft long, and therefore equal to one TEU. A 40 ft long shipping container is equal to two TEUs.

Sheikh Rashid