ALULA, now ALULA EXPRESS, is a large South Korean-built containership completed by Samsung Heavy Industries in 2012 as part of the UASC fleet expansion programme.
At more than 366 metres in length, 141,077 GT and 145,528 tonnes deadweight, the vessel represented a major generation of ultra-large containerships when delivered.
Following the integration of United Arab Shipping Company into Hapag-Lloyd, the vessel became part of the German carrier's fleet and subsequently adopted the name:
ALULA EXPRESS.
She remains fully active in 2026, operating long-distance container services for Hapag-Lloyd.
Vessel Details
Current Name: ALULA EXPRESS
Former Name: ALULA
IMO: 9525883
Current MMSI: 636093172
Current Call Sign: 5LDX9
Type: Container Ship
Current Flag: Liberia
Port of Registry: Monrovia
Built: 2012
Builder: Samsung Heavy Industries, Geoje, South Korea
Original Owner / Operator: United Arab Shipping Company – UASC
Current Operator: Hapag-Lloyd
Current Technical Management: Marlow Ship Management Deutschland
Class: Lloyd's Register
Gross Tonnage: 141,077 GT
Deadweight: 145,528 t
Length Overall: approx. 366–368 m
Beam: 48.20 m
Container Capacity: approx. 13,900 TEU
Main Engine: MAN B&W 12K98ME-C
Main Engine Power: approx. 71,760 kW
Current Status: Active
Built by Samsung Heavy Industries
ALULA was completed in:
2012
at Samsung Heavy Industries' massive Geoje shipyard in South Korea.
The ship formed part of a series of large UASC containerships designed for long-distance east-west liner services.
Her dimensions included approximately:
366 m length
and:
48.2 m beam.
145,528 DWT
The vessel has a deadweight of:
145,528 tonnes.
Gross tonnage is:
141,077 GT.
These figures placed ALULA among the major mainline containerships of her generation.
MAN B&W Machinery
The vessel was equipped with a:
MAN B&W 12K98ME-C
main engine.
Original PiraeuShips technical data gives approximately:
71,760 kW
of main-engine power.
This machinery was designed for the high-capacity long-distance trades between Asia, the Middle East and Europe that formed the backbone of the UASC network.
United Arab Shipping Company
ALULA entered service for:
UASC – United Arab Shipping Company.
The Kuwait-headquartered carrier was jointly owned by several Gulf states and developed a substantial global liner presence.
The vessel's name reflected the company's tradition of using regional Arabic place names and terminology throughout its fleet.
Piraeus in 2019
ALULA was documented by PiraeuShips in:
February 2019.
At that time she was still recorded under:
Malta flag
with:
Valletta
as home port.
The PiraeuShips entry recorded:
141,077 GT
145,528 DWT
and:
366 m length.
UASC and Hapag-Lloyd
A major corporate change had already occurred by this stage.
In 2017, UASC merged with:
Hapag-Lloyd.
The transaction transferred UASC's modern fleet of large containerships into one of the world's largest liner shipping groups.
ALULA consequently became part of Hapag-Lloyd's owned fleet.
ALULA → ALULA EXPRESS
The vessel subsequently received the expanded name:
ALULA EXPRESS.
Her current registered identity is:
ALULA EXPRESS
under the:
Liberian flag.
Her radio identity is:
MMSI 636093172
Call Sign 5LDX9.
Current Management
Current certification identifies:
Marlow Ship Management Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
as the ship-management company.
Hapag-Lloyd remains associated with the vessel commercially and as owner/operator interests.
13,900 TEU
Current commercial databases list approximately:
13,900 TEU
of nominal container capacity.
That makes ALULA EXPRESS comparable in size with a generation of vessels that remain highly useful on the major intercontinental trade lanes even after the arrival of 20,000+ TEU ultra-large container ships.
Still Active in 2026
ALULA EXPRESS remains fully operational in:
2026.
September schedules show her operating for Hapag-Lloyd on the:
ME1 / Indian Ocean Service,
including long-distance voyages linking:
Northern Europe
with:
India and the Middle East.
Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk schedule systems also show forward voyages for the ship through late 2026.
PiraeuShips Record
ALULA was recorded at Piraeus by PiraeuShips in 2019 during the transition period following the integration of United Arab Shipping Company into Hapag-Lloyd. Built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea in 2012, the 141,077-GT containership was originally operated by UASC and measured more than 366 metres in length with a deadweight of 145,528 tonnes. The vessel subsequently became ALULA EXPRESS, transferred to the Liberian flag and today operates within the Hapag-Lloyd network with technical management by Marlow Ship Management Deutschland. Still fully active in 2026 on major international container services, the PiraeuShips footage preserves the vessel under her shorter original ALULA identity and during an important corporate transition in modern liner shipping.