AD Ports Group, CMA CGM to invest AED 570 mn in new terminal at Khalifa Port
AD Ports Group and CMA CGM Group have signed a 35-year concession agreement.
September 09, 2021: AD Ports Group and CMA CGM Group have signed a 35-year concession agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, a new terminal will be established in Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Port, the first semi-automated container port in the GCC region, which will be managed by a joint venture owned by CMA CGM’s subsidiary CMA Terminals (with a 70 percent stake) and AD Ports Group (30 percent stake). The partners are expected to commit approximately AED 570 million ($154 million) to the project.
The terminal will provide CMA CGM with a new regional hub and will enable the AD Ports Group to develop its service offering between Abu Dhabi and South Asia, Western Asia, East Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean as well as the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent.
With construction starting in 2021, the new terminal is set to be handed over in 2024 with, in phase 1, an initial quay length of 800 metres and an estimated annual capacity of 1.8 million TEUs. AD Ports Group will be responsible for developing a wide range of supporting marine works and infrastructure. This includes up to a total of 1,200 metres of quay wall, a 3,800-metres breakwater, a fully built-out rail platform, and 700,000 square metres of terminal yard.
With this major investment, the CMA CGM Group pushes ahead with its global expansion strategy as a leading terminal operator. The Group currently operates 49 port terminals in 27 countries via its subsidiaries CMA Terminals and Terminal Link.
Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi, chairman of AD Ports Group, said, “One of the key factors that has greatly contributed to the economic growth of Abu Dhabi and the UAE has been our stable economic environment that is ripe for foreign investment. Coupled with competitive free zone and business engagement initiatives that aid foreign businesses in establishing a presence in the country with ease, the UAE has become a key investment destination among many of the world’s leading players seeking to extend their reach into the Middle East.”
CMA CGM Group is the third of the world’s top-four shipping entities to join forces with Abu Dhabi’s leading facilitator of trade, logistics and industry. The agreement confirms Khalifa Port’s standing as one of only a few major ports in the world providing hubs for three of the world’s top shipping lines, as well as serving as an instrumental part of the global maritime trade connecting markets from east to west.
“This agreement will aid us to realise our long-term ambitions to become a top 10 ports, industrial, and logistics operator by expanding our capacity and growth across the region and beyond. In all, we project that over the next five years the CMA Terminals joint venture will drive the further development of the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), while simultaneously contributing significantly to the national GDP,” said Al Ahbabi.
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Group CEO, AD Ports Group, said, “With the addition of another leading worldwide shipping group company, will make Khalifa Port a hub for three of the world’s top four shipping companies. This addition creates opportunities to open trade routes to new markets in Europe, Africa, Western Asia, and South Asia. At home, we expect the presence of the shipping line terminal, which will link directly to Khalifa Port’s upcoming rail terminal and utilise its services, to accelerate trade flows moving in and out of the UAE, while also encouraging CMA CGM Group’s customers to consider establishing a presence in Abu Dhabi.”
This state-of-the-art terminal will contribute to enhancing Khalifa Port’s position as a leading global hub and to boosting the region's economy, accelerating trade flows in and out of Abu Dhabi.
