AD Ports Group launches Kezad Group as integrated ecosystem for key industries

The move aims to create cost synergies and support Abu Dhabi's industrial strategy

Kezad Group comprises 12 economic zones with a total area of 550 square kilometres. Photo: Kezad

AD Ports Group, the operator of industrial cities and free zones in Abu Dhabi, has launched Kezad Group to consolidate and grow its Economic Cities & Free Zones offering, as it seeks to strengthen the emirate's position as an industrial and manufacturing hub.

The company's Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) and ZonesCorp (specialised economic zones) have been integrated into the newly formed Kezad Group (Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Group), which comprises 12 economic zones with a total area of 550 square kilometres, including 100 sq km designated as free zones, AD Ports said on Monday.

Kezad has more than 300,000 square metres of pre-built warehouse facilities and 40 staff accommodation complexes with a capacity of 450,000 beds located in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra region, including the 77,000 beds it operates.

In total, it has more than 1,750 clients from 17 industrial and economic sectors catering to a range of key industries.

“The launch of Kezad Group, which brings together our Economic Cities & Free Zones assets, supports the expansion of dedicated ecosystems for strategic industries, boosting access to international markets, integrating advanced technologies and accelerating the transition to a circular economy,” said Mohamed Al Shamisi, managing director and group chief executive of AD Ports Group.

Established to align with the UAE’s industrial strategy and the recently launched Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy, Kezad will offer greater opportunities for investors who seek to streamline every segment of their supply chain, the company said.

Under the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy, the government is investing Dh10 billion ($2.72bn) across six industrial programmes to more than double the size of the emirate’s manufacturing sector to Dh172bn by 2031. This will create 13,600 skilled jobs, with a focus on hiring Emiratis.

The strategy aims to strengthen the emirate’s position as the region’s most competitive industrial centre.

Kezad will be solely responsible for managing the process of planning, developing, operating, regulating and promoting the combined assets under the AD Ports Group’s Economic Cities & Free Zones portfolio, which makes up 55 per cent of the UAE’s industrial area.

“Combining the portfolio’s assets will drive higher investments and develop a stronger portfolio of products and services for businesses and investors at the local, regional and international levels,” the company said.

It will offer an expanded choice of locations, greater pricing options, quality of infrastructure, ease of doing business and integrated services through unified processes and focused offerings for customers.

“Kezad Group will leverage synergies across its combined assets and utilise our collaborative expertise to fully support the priority industrial sectors identified … in the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy,” said Abdullah Al Hameli, chief executive of Economic Cities & Free Zones at AD Ports Group.

The group plans to invest in dedicated infrastructure for key industrial sectors to create new revenue streams, such as enhanced gas networks for metal and other heavy industries, and wholesale marketplaces for food and automotive, the company said.

“Kezad Group is now responsible for the largest integrated trade, logistics and industrial hub in the region and is the largest operator of purpose-built economic zones and workers' residential cities in the UAE,” said chief executive Mohamed Al Ahmad.

“We will deploy this enhanced scale to fully support strategic industries and enable sustainable diversification and growth.”

Established in 2006, AD Ports Group owns and operates 10 ports in the UAE, including Khalifa Port, Zayed Port, Mussaffah Port, Fujairah Terminals, Community Ports, Kamsar Port and the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, as well as a terminal in Guinea.

It also manages an end-to-end logistics business, besides offering a range of maritime services.