THE Arabian port giant which half owns Southampton Container Terminals has seen its profits rise by more than half in the last year.

Dubai Ports World reported profits of £210m yesterday and said business for the start of 2008 had been good.

Last year it handled around 43 million containers, including two million at SCT, which is a joint venture with Southampton docks owner ABP.

The world's fourth largest ports operator said its revenue from 42 terminals in 22 countries last year increased 32 per cent to more than £1.3 billion.

DP World bought a share in SCT when it bought UK port and ferry company P&O for £3.5 billion in 2006.

However, it had to sell on the US part of that business after opposition from Congress, which claimed that the takeover posed a security risk.

In 2007, DP World handled about 43 million containers.

"Trading in the first two months of 2008 has been strong with throughput well ahead of the same period last year," its chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said.

However the start of the year at SCT, the UK's second largest container terminal, has been hampered by a crane collapse in January and operations are still not back up to full capacity.

Southampton Container Port.