THE UAE's Jebel Ali container port claims to have clinched the top spot in terms of productivity after recording 131 moves per ship per hour in 2014, up 10 per cent from 119 a year earlier, according to analysts appointed by Newark's Journal of Commerce.

The result is based on receiving 125,000 port calls last year, while six ports from China also made the global top ten. Asian and Middle Eastern ports recorded the best productivity for ships at berth, reported Daojiworld.com from western India.

Said DP World chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem: "DP World's commitment to be the best in the world is in line with the vision for Dubai laid out by his highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai."

Once Jebel Ali's semi-automated new Terminal 3 is complete, the major trade gateway will boast a total annual handling capacity of 19 million TEU by the end of the year.

DP World, led by Jebel Ali Port, handled 15.2 million TEU in 2014, and 3.9 million TEU in the first quarter of the year, representing growth of 7.7 per cent.