emirates7 - AD Ports Group has entered the global top 20 rankings of world port operators for the first time, according to a recent survey by Drewry, a UK firm specializing in the container ports sector. Ranked 19th, this achievement highlights AD Ports Group's growing significance in the industry, driven by its rapid expansion, including new operating concessions and the 2023 acquisition of Noatum, which operates 16 terminals in Spain.

Currently, AD Ports Group manages 33 terminals across eight countries, including the UAE, Spain, and Pakistan, with 27 already operational. New terminals are expected to come online in the UAE and under concession agreements in the Republic of Congo, Egypt, and Angola. The Drewry ranking, based on container throughput using data from 2022/2023, is featured in the firm's 2024/2025 annual industry report.

In 2023, AD Ports Group reported a container throughput of 4.91 million TEUs, marking a 13% year-on-year increase. Total volumes handled at its UAE terminals grew by 6% to 4.6 million TEUs, including contributions from Noatum after its integration into the Group. The Ports Cluster accounted for 16% of the Group's consolidated revenue and 23% of adjusted EBITDA in 2023.

The Ports Cluster has continued its robust growth in 2024, with revenue rising 83% year-on-year in Q2 2024, and 13% on a like-for-like basis, reaching AED563 million. This growth has been supported by contributions from the management of four berths at Karachi Port, Pakistan, under a 50-year concession agreement with Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited (KGTL).

The acquisition of Noatum and the Karachi concession increased AD Ports Group's global terminal capacity by 14% to 9.7 million TEUs in 2023. The Group is also focusing on expanding in new markets, particularly in the Indian Subcontinent, Red Sea, Mediterranean, South Asia, and Africa.

In 2023 and the first half of 2024, AD Ports Group signed agreements to develop and operate multipurpose terminals in Safaga (Egypt), Pointe Noire (Republic of Congo), and Luanda (Angola). Preliminary agreements were also made for terminals in East Port Said and Sokhna in Egypt, and Chittagong in Bangladesh.

In June 2024, East Africa Gateway Limited, a joint venture between AD Ports Group and Adani, acquired a 95% stake in Tanzania International Container Terminal Services (TICTS), which operates berths 8-11 at Dar es Salaam ports in Tanzania. These developments are expected to increase AD Ports Group's terminal capacity by over 60% to 14.5 million TEUs over the next five years.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group, stated that the inclusion in the Drewry Top 20 League Table reflects the growing global importance of the Group as it continues its expansion in trade, maritime, logistics, and industrial development. Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO of the Ports Cluster, added that the new ranking acknowledges the Group's increasing influence globally, aided by the acquisition of Noatum and the Karachi concession, as well as upcoming projects in Africa and elsewhere.

AD Ports Group continues to seek investment opportunities beyond the UAE. The acquisition of Noatum added four Spanish terminals to the Group’s portfolio, and AD Ports also acquired Spain's Terminal Polivalente Castellon for €10 million.

Drewry has also included AD Ports Group in its Port Equity Index, a benchmark stock index of the top 10 publicly traded port operators. With operations in over 50 countries across various regions, AD Ports Group is a key player in global trade, transport, logistics, and industrial development, contributing significantly to the UAE's non-oil economic growth.

The 2023 acquisition of Noatum also had a substantial impact on AD Ports Group's Logistics Cluster, now rebranded as Noatum Logistics. The acquisition led to a more than threefold increase in the Cluster’s revenue in 2023, reaching AED1.94 billion from AED532 million in 2022. In the first half of 2024, the Logistics Cluster generated AED2.2 billion in revenue, making it the second-largest contributor to the Group’s overall revenue after the Maritime & Shipping Cluster.