The Ro-Ro vessel "Zahir" docks at Ningbo Zhoushan Port (Photo provided by Hu Jinqu)

Yesterday marked a milestone in global automotive logistics as the "Zahir", a next-generation dual-fuel vehicle carrier operated by UAE's United Global Ro-Ro (UGR), successfully completed loading nearly 4,000 China-made vehicles at Ningbo Zhoushan Port before embarking on its maiden voyage. The vessel's naming ceremony and inaugural departure signify a new chapter in maritime auto transport.

As UGR's second 7,000-CEU (car equivalent unit) dual-fuel ro-ro vessel, the "Zahir" features a clean energy propulsion system with exceptional ocean-going capabilities. Its emission levels of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter significantly outperform conventional fuel-powered ships, injecting green momentum into global automotive shipping supply chains.

Unlike traditional routes, the "Zahir" will pioneer a new logistics corridor - after departing Ningbo Zhoushan Port, it will call at Abu Dhabi before making subsequent stops across Mediterranean and African ports, ultimately reaching Egypt's Port Said (Damietta). This establishes the first dedicated ro-ro export route serving this regional network.

During the naming ceremony, Zhejiang Seaport Group and Abu Dhabi Ports Group inked a strategic cooperation agreement, building upon their memorandum of understanding signed at the 2025 Maritime Silk Road Forum. This substantive step implements consensus reached at the forum, elevating bilateral collaboration to comprehensive new levels.

Amid deepening China-UAE economic ties and accelerating global automotive industry integration, the "Zahir"'s maiden voyage and the strategic partnership create a model for efficient auto exports along the Belt and Road initiative. The collaboration promises to develop smarter, interconnected global logistics channels for vehicle transportation. (Reporters Yan Wuyi, Wu Zhiting; Correspondents Hu Jinqu, Yang Jiangqi)