Mokha Port
Makha city and port is located about 100 km west of Taiz city and is 75 km away from Bab-el-Mandeb at the Red Sea coast. It is one of Taiz’s districts. It is divided into 4 sub-districts with a population amounts to about 26 thousand persons, according to 2004 general census. The history of this city goes back to the era prior to Islam, whereas its name was mentioned in some ancient Himiran Yemeni engravings.
In the 17th Century, Mocha city had become a trade center and the most important port, not only in Yemen, but also in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. Whereas, it had been well known to the world through its exporting of the best coffee in the world known as “Mocha Coffee”. That was in addition to the exportation of a number of Yemeni commodities to abroad; such as sabr (aloe), incense and arak sticks. Through this city, Yemen used to receive its requirements of the spices, incenses and fabrics from East Asian countries in addition to the livestock that Yemen has started to import, recently.
The port was established in 1955 pursuant to a French design, which was, then, composed of a 20 meters wide bridge that connected Mocha city with the island located southwest of the city and a pier of 200 m length and 20 m width. The original depths along the pier are 2.5 m of 50 m length, 3.5 m of 50 m length and 4.7 m of 100 m length. In front of the pier there is 40 m wide dock.
As the time passed and due to the strong coastal currents, the mud cumulated in the dock in front of the pier. Hence, the operational part of the pier has diminished to 30 m long and 2.2 m deep under the decreased water level, so that the pier has become to be used for loading and unloading by launches and boats. The oil pipeline has been extended on the western side of the pier to the jumbo tanks. Thus, tankers should cast anchor 200 m away in the sea rear towards the pier in order to pump the oil by a floating hose.
• Basic data:-
-Zone time: Greenwich + 3 hours.
-Signal code: 17-16 C. H (VHF)
• Seaport compliance with the international blog (ISPS) :
-ID No : (4-2000)
-Acceptance Date : 13 Feb., 2010.
• Natural Features:
-Climate: approx. warm in summer and moderate in winter.
-Relative Water Density: (1,025)
-Rainy season: the raining falls down in little quantities, the raining season comes between the months of (Jan., Feb., April, Aug., & October), and the annual rainfall is 36,6 mm per year.
-Ebb and tide: the mean ebb and tide (0.08m) .
• Geographical advantage:
Location:
-Al-Makha (City and Seaport) is at the west of Taiz City. It is far from the Bab Al-Mandab in distance of 75 km to the north and in a distance of 100 km far from Taiz city to the west at the Red Sea Coast. It locates at the latitude 13/19º to the north of the equator and at the longitude 04/43º east of Greenwich line.
Importance and Privilege:
-The importance of this Port comes as a result of its closeness from the international navigational line in distance of approximately 6 km, equivalent to 3.2 nautical miles. Where it connects between Europe, East of Africa, South of Asia and Middle East in addition to its geographical location is distinctive for the southern district and the middle district, it is near Bab Al Mandeb strait, States of African Horn, and Arabian Sea. All these features made it an important and strategic port.
• Navigational Features:-
Navigational passage:
– Length passage : (2 km) equivalent to approximately
1.1 nautical miles
-Width : 100m.
Turning circle :
-Diameter : 412 m
– Depth of : 8 m.
Approaching Districts
-from the beginning of the navigational canal Depths from
(7.2 to 7.8) m.
Guidance :
-Obligatory at the main entrance.
Tugging :
-Obligatory at the Tracki District.
• Special Constituents for the port:
– Gross size : (78.261.012) m2.
-Water size : (76.341.619) m2.
-Land size : (1.919.393) m2.
• Constituents production capacity:
-Maximum designed capacity : (1,500,000) Tons per year.
For Goods:
-Dry Bulk : (500,000 tons)
-Liquid Bulk : (1,000,000 tons).
