It now has seventeen ships onorder at Hyundai made up of six 18,000-teu and eleven 14,000-teu vessels worthover $2bn.

The newbuilding contract wassigned in Dubai on Sunday by UASC chairman Salem Ali Al Zaabi and Hyundai’s Y JJi.

“With the exercisingof this final purchase option for one 18,000-teu vessel, UASC completes itscurrent newbuilding order in full,” the UASC chairmansaid.

“With deliveries of the 17vessels scheduled to begin in late 2014, the Company is now fully engaged inimplementing its growth strategy.

“In