In 1995, the Government of Sharjah made a historic announcement for the establishment of a Free Zone in Hamriyah.
It was immediately recognised as a visionary project designed to progress the economy of Sharjah and the UAE and to provide individual investors who had the foresight to take up the opportunity to benefit from this strategically located free zone.
Sharjah National Lube Oil Company WLL (Sharlu) bought into this vision as the first private company investing and became one of the pioneer investors in the free zone. With the encouragement and support of the free zone authorities, Sharlu took a long-term lease of a plot, to establish a tank farm for storage of base oils used in the manufacture of industrial, marine and automotive lubricants.
With a clear idea of what to focus on, the free zone authorities allocated a plot that was nearest to the three main jetties. This foresight on the part of the free zone management allowed Sharlu to develop a commercial tank farm for easy receipt of bulk liquid product from vessels and for reloading outgoing vessels.
With the full encouragement of Hamriyah Free Zone Authorities, coupled with the ease of doing business through the facilities that were on offer, Sharlu increased the throughput from its tank farm to a level that encouraged and attracted more companies to set up tank farms for base oils, chemicals, fuels etc. Thus, Hamriyah Free Zone became the leading bulk liquid storage port.
Sharlu has been very successful in optimising the opportunity and has, since inception, continuously added capacity to accommodate companies that trade in base oils but do not have their own terminal to bring in, store and distribute product.
For its tank farm clients who lease capacity on a short or long-term basis Sharlu provides a comprehensive package of attending incoming vessels bringing in clients’ products, arranging for independent surveyors to check on quantity and quality of the product and discharging from vessels into tanks. It also handles all the operational details such as arranging transportation to the customers for leasing parties, loading of liquid product in tanker trucks, flexi bags or IBCs, or even in drums as per requirements of clients for onward dispatch.
In addition, Sharlu undertakes to provide comprehensive inventory control service to its clients, keeping track of incoming products according to grade and specification, while meticulously documenting the quantities moved by client to their own various customers. Sharlu’s client have the satisfaction of knowing that every single ton of liquid product will be accounted for and tracked to ascertain where, when, how and to whom it was dispatched.
The only information that Sharlu is not privy to is the price that the product has been sold at. Sharlu ensures full confidentiality of product stored, quantities available with a client and the customers to whom product is being dispatched.
For more information visit www.hfza.ae
