Khorfakkan Port, on the UAE’s east coast, is set to receive its largest-ever single shipment of finished vehicles: 6,068 BYD electric cars aboard one vessel. The run was flagged by the UAE state news agency WAM on 9 August, and it sets a record at both ends of the route.
The ship is the Changsha, one of BYD’s own car carriers. It left Xiaomo International Logistics Port in Shenzhen on 4 August, and the departure was billed as the biggest single vehicle export in Xiaomo’s short history — as well as the official launch of a direct Xiaomo–UAE ro-ro route. The port, which opened in late 2021, now runs 12 ro-ro routes covering seven global regions.
Not all of the cargo is the same car. Shenzhen’s government says 3,725 of the 6,068 are Fangchengbao Titanium 7 SUVs — the model’s first export batch, built at BYD’s Shenshan plant, which sits next to the port.
| Shipment | 6,068 BYD EVs — 3,725 of them Fangchengbao Titanium 7 |
|---|---|
| Vessel | BYD Changsha, BYD’s own LNG dual-fuel car carrier |
| Route | Xiaomo Port (Shenzhen) to Khor Fakkan, direct ro-ro |
| Time saving | 3–5 days off Middle East delivery |
The port that skips the Strait of Hormuz
Khor Fakkan’s appeal is geography. The port faces the Gulf of Oman and is one of the few in the Middle East that car carriers can reach without transiting the Strait of Hormuz; the new route is said to trim three to five days off delivery to the region. The Changsha, delivered in 2025, is the sixth vessel in a fleet BYD built to carry its own exports — LNG dual-fuel, with 9,200 vehicle spaces, per industry outlet Gasgoo.
What the BYD shipment means for the UAE
Sharjah has been angling for exactly this traffic. The Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority, which runs the port, announced in July a plan to raise capacity to five million TEUs by adding new shipping lines; the berths already sit in more than 17 metres of water. For buyers, the arrival of 6,068 EVs is a supply signal: BYD is among the UAE’s best-selling Chinese EV brands — its local line-up and its autonomous-driving push are both already part of the market, and used-car data shows Chinese brands and EVs squeezing the resale market.
WAM reported on 9 August that the port is set to receive the vessel; no arrival date has been announced.
Where is Khor Fakkan Port?
On the UAE’s east coast, in Sharjah. It faces the Gulf of Oman and is one of the few Middle East ports reachable without transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It is run by the Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority.
Why is BYD shipping its own cars?
BYD has built a fleet of LNG dual-fuel car carriers, of which the Changsha is the sixth. Owning the ships gives the carmaker control over its export logistics instead of relying on third-party shipping lines.
What is the Fangchengbao Titanium 7?
An SUV from Fangchengbao, BYD’s off-road brand. The 3,725 Titanium 7s on this voyage are the model’s first export batch, built at BYD’s Shenshan plant in Shenzhen.
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