Seatrade Maritime is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Abu Dhabi Ports H1 profits soar 77%

Abu Dhabi Ports H1 profits soar 77%
An 11% increase in container volumes at its flagship Khalifa Port has contributed to a 77% surge in net profits across its portfolio of 10 commercial, logistics, community and leisure terminals, Abu Dhabi Ports (ADP) says.

Bolstered by rapid growth in polymer exports and transhipment activity across the Arabian Gulf, Khalifa Port Container Terminal (KPCT) handled 699,776 teu in the six months to June 30, up from 629,941 teu for the corresponding period in 2015.

A 49% jump in passenger numbers at its new Khalifa Port Cruise Terminal and 7% and 4% gains in general cargo and ro-ro volumes respectively also contributed to the near 80% period-on-period net profit uptick and a 20% increase in H1 revenue.

New productivity levels at its ro-ro terminals, with a record average of 206 cars handled per hour in April 2016, illustrated the growth of Abu Dhabi as a logistics hub for the automotive industry, ADP Ports said after unveiling 58,000 vehicles had passed through its ports in H1.

As a privately owned company, ADP’s has not disclosed its H1 financials but the absence of hard figures hasn’t stopped it from trumpeting the “remarkable” double-digit growth across its portfolio of 10 ports as well as the new Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad).

“These results demonstrate the crucial role that Abu Dhabi Ports plays as a UAE regional and increasingly global maritime trade hub, especially for those seeking to access the $7.8 trillion Middle East, Africa and South Asian region,” ADP ceo Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said.

The H1 results follow closely in the wake of the announcement that Khalifa Port will soon welcome capsize vessels for the first time. The carefully plotted expansion plan will see 600,000 sqm of cargo handling capability come on stream by mid 2018 courtesy of an additional 1,000 mtrs of quay wall and the dredging of its main channel and basin from 16 to 18 mtrs. ADP said in Tuesday’s H1 statement that it had already invested $75m in new equipment but the “commercially sensitive” details remained under wraps.

“We continue to invest and upgrade our offerings and facilities to support fast, inter-connected and efficient supply chains while also reaffirming Abu Dhabi’s position as a centre of excellence in maritime trade. The positive role played by Abu Dhabi Ports’ suppliers, partners and employees is at the heart of this growth, in line with the wise vision of the UAE leadership, the Abu Dhabi Plan and Economic Vision 2030,” Shamisi said.

Khalifa Port’s current capacity is 2.5m teu and 12m tonnes of general cargo. Further phases of development will occur as market demand requires, eventually taking capacity to 15m teu and 35m tonnes of general cargo per year.

New container business has come on line this year adding regional connections, primarily to the Indian subcontinent, to support the transshipment business for the KPCT. Admiral Group started feeder services in the Arabian Gulf area along with TDS, furthering the momentum.

Total land leased at Kizad in H1, meantime, was more than 1.5m sq mtrs, a 50% increase on the same period in 2015.  

“Industries in Khalifa Industrial Zone continued to expand with 82 Standard Musataha Agreements (SMAs), at an investment amount of over AED 40bn to date,” ADP said.

“The area has now leased 14.5 million square meters of land, 1.9 million square meters of which is leased in the trade and logistics zone. There has also been a 17% year-on-year increase in the number of investors from 2011, with a value exceeding AED 22bn.”