P&O Ports sails into the south of France

Dubai port operator will operate Port de Sète’s container terminal

P&O Ports wins contract to operate a container terminal in Port Sète in France. Getty Images

P&O Ports, a Dubai government-owned terminal operator, announced Friday that it will operate the container terminal in France’s Port de Sète.

The three-year agreement may be extended to a long-term concession in the future, the company said. Sultan bin Sulayem, chairman of the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), said that the development of this terminal, expected in October, will increase traffic.

“In the early stages it will continue to primarily cater for feeder services in the eastern Mediterranean, the Maghreb region and North Africa,” he said. “Once development takes place with the backing of our regional partners we expect to see more multinational shippers use

its services with other international destinations added over time.”

Located in the Occitanie region, Port de Sète is able to cater to a variety of vessels with additional land to be developed for the container activity. It will provide a gateway to French towns, such as Toulouse and Montpellier, while also forming part of a network to Italy and Spain.

Jean Claude Gayssot, president of the Port de Sète, said that working with P&O was a “source of great opportunity” based on the Dubai firm’s global shipping operations.