Overview
AD Ports Group is Abu Dhabi’s integrated trade, logistics, and industrial infrastructure operator. The group manages a portfolio of ports, industrial zones, maritime services, logistics operations, and digital supply chain platforms that collectively form the physical backbone of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil trade and industrial economy. Listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, AD Ports Group is majority-owned by ADQ and operates as a strategic enabler of the emirate’s economic diversification agenda.
The group’s flagship assets are Khalifa Port — Abu Dhabi’s principal deep-water commercial port — and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), one of the largest integrated industrial zones in the Middle East. Together, these assets anchor Abu Dhabi’s trade, logistics, and light manufacturing sectors.
Khalifa Port
Khalifa Port commenced operations in 2012, replacing the capacity-constrained Port Zayed in Abu Dhabi’s city centre. Located in the Taweelah area between Abu Dhabi city and the industrial complex at Ruwais, Khalifa Port was purpose-built as a modern deep-water container and general cargo facility.
The port operates a semi-automated container terminal with capacity to handle several million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually. Its deep-water berths accommodate the largest container vessels in global service, positioning Abu Dhabi as a direct port of call on major east-west shipping routes rather than a feeder port dependent on transhipment through other regional hubs.
Khalifa Port was identified in the Economic Vision 2030 framework under the Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone (KPIZ) designation as a critical infrastructure investment for diversifying Abu Dhabi’s economy into trade and logistics.
KIZAD — Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi
KIZAD is an integrated industrial zone adjacent to Khalifa Port, providing serviced land, utilities, and logistics connectivity for manufacturing, logistics, and processing operations. The zone spans over 400 square kilometres, making it one of the largest industrial zones between Europe and East Asia.
KIZAD offers purpose-built facilities for industries including metals processing, food and beverage manufacturing, polymers and plastics, building materials, and pharmaceuticals. Its direct connectivity to Khalifa Port, proximity to ADNOC’s downstream operations at Ruwais, and access to the Etihad Rail network create an integrated industrial and logistics ecosystem.
The industrial zone has attracted tenants from across the manufacturing and logistics spectrum, including multinational companies establishing regional production and distribution operations. KIZAD’s combination of competitive land costs, modern infrastructure, and streamlined regulatory processes reflects the vision’s objective of creating a business environment that attracts industrial investment.
Maritime Services
AD Ports Group operates a maritime services division that provides vessel management, marine agency services, port and terminal operations consulting, and maritime logistics solutions. The group has expanded its maritime footprint internationally through acquisitions and concession agreements, establishing operations in multiple countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.
This international expansion strategy positions AD Ports Group as a regional maritime operator rather than a single-port authority, generating revenue and expertise from diverse geographic markets while extending Abu Dhabi’s trade connectivity.
Logistics and Digital Services
The logistics division provides end-to-end supply chain services including freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution, and customs brokerage. AD Ports Group has invested in digital supply chain platforms that integrate port operations, customs clearance, and logistics tracking into a unified digital infrastructure.
These digital capabilities support the vision’s objectives for modernising government services and creating an efficient regulatory environment for trade. Paperless customs processing, digital cargo tracking, and integrated logistics platforms reduce transaction costs and processing times for businesses operating through Abu Dhabi’s trade infrastructure.
International Expansion
AD Ports Group has pursued an aggressive international expansion strategy, acquiring port concessions, logistics operations, and maritime service platforms in Egypt, Tanzania, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other markets. This expansion diversifies the group’s revenue base beyond Abu Dhabi’s domestic economy and positions it as a significant player in the global ports and logistics industry.
The international portfolio also serves strategic objectives for Abu Dhabi. Port concessions in emerging markets create trade corridors that connect Abu Dhabi to growing consumer and industrial markets. Logistics operations in Central Asia position Abu Dhabi as a connectivity hub on developing trade routes.
Role in Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030
AD Ports Group is the physical infrastructure upon which the vision’s trade and logistics diversification rests. The Economic Vision 2030 identifies trade and logistics as one of twelve target sectors and calls for the development of world-class port and industrial infrastructure to enable non-oil exports, attract foreign industrial investment, and position Abu Dhabi as a regional logistics hub.
Khalifa Port and KIZAD are the direct fulfilment of this mandate. Their development transformed Abu Dhabi from an emirate with limited commercial port capacity into one with a modern, scalable trade infrastructure capable of supporting industrial diversification at scale.
The group’s listing on ADX also contributes to the vision’s capital markets development objective, providing international investors with access to Abu Dhabi’s infrastructure growth story.
Institutional Significance
AD Ports Group demonstrates that Abu Dhabi’s diversification strategy extends beyond financial services and technology into the physical economy of trade, manufacturing, and logistics. The group’s assets are the connective tissue between Abu Dhabi’s industrial ambitions and the global markets where its non-oil products must compete.