AD Ports Group has expanded its international portfolio to 36 ports and terminals with the addition of the Aqaba multipurpose port in Jordan, a senior executive said.
AD Ports Group regional chief executive officer Ahmed Al Mutawa told Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the group’s operations currently span the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Europe, including the UAE, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Spain, Egypt, Tanzania, Angola, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The 30-year concession agreement signed with Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) to manage and operate the multi-purpose port is a strategic milestone and represents the Group’s largest infrastructure investment in Jordan to date.
Under the agreement, AD Ports Group will hold 70% ownership and ADC will hold the remaining 30%. AD Ports Group will invest a total of AED 141 million (US$38.4 million) in the joint venture.
Al Mutawa said the total investment over the 30-year concession period is expected to reach approximately AED 670 million, with cumulative revenues exceeding AED 1.5 billion. The Group plans to officially begin operating the port in August this year.
Located at the crossroads of three continents, the Port of Aqaba is Jordan’s main gateway for foreign trade, handling approximately 80 percent of the country’s exports and 65 percent of its imports.
Aqaba Multi-Purpose Port handles a wide variety of cargo, including general cargo, grain, livestock, Ro-Ro, and project cargo. The port has an annual throughput of 11 million tonnes, supported by nine berths, a quay length of 2 km and a draft of 13.5 meters. In 2025, the terminal handled more than 5.3 million tons of cargo and approximately 85,000 car equivalent units (CEUs) of Ro-Ro imports.
