AD Ports Group, the operator of industrial cities and free zones in Abu Dhabi, has launched its first office in China, as it aims to strengthen commercial and investment activities globally.
The new office in Beijing will help advance AD Ports’ presence within China as well as the Belt and Road network, which spans maritime routes linking Asia, Africa and Europe as well as multimodal overland corridors between China, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe, AD Ports said in a statement on Thursday.
The new office will also help connect potential clients and investors into the group’s integrated global trade and logistics ecosystem, while co-ordinating investments, fostering new business ventures, and facilitating capital inflows from Chinese investors into the UAE.
“As the world’s largest exporter and driver of supply chain development, China is actively reshaping international trade. Through our newly established Beijing office, we will work closely with our Chinese partners to support the expansion of key local, regional and international trade corridors and deliver cutting-edge shipping, infrastructure and logistics solutions,” said Capt Mohamed Al Shamsi, managing director and group chief executive of AD Ports Group.
The move comes as AD Ports looks to expand its global footprint and strengthen partnerships with businesses across within the UAE well as China, and in markets beyond the world's second-largest economy. The Abu Dhabi-based group and China’s Jiangsu Overseas Co-operation Investment operate economic zones in Abu Dhabi, while Cosco Shipping Ports operates a major container terminal via a joint venture at Khalifa Port.
A number of Chinese companies have also invested in manufacturing and trading entities within Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Group (Kezad), the largest operator of integrated economic zones in the UAE. As of 2024, China was the UAE's largest trading partner, with more than $100 billion in total bilateral trade spanning sectors including crude oil, petrochemicals and artificial intelligence.
AD Ports, which has a network of more than 140 offices worldwide, completed several new deals last year including acquiring 100 per cent of APM Terminals Castellon in Spain, as well as buying a 60 per cent stake in Dubai Technologies, a trade and transportation solutions developer based in Dubai.
The group also acquired a 60 per cent stake in Tbilisi Dry Port, a key logistics terminal in Georgia, and secured 81 per cent ownership in the joint venture that signed a 20-year concession to operate and upgrade the existing Luanda Multipurpose Port Terminal in Angola.
Established in 2006, AD Ports’ portfolio includes 33 terminals, with a presence in more than 50 countries, and economic zones spanning more than 550 square kilometres.
As part of its China growth strategy, AD Ports will also be expanding in-country capacities of Noatum Logistics, the group’s logistics arm, to offer logistics solutions tailored specifically to the needs of China’s domestic market. Noatum Logistics will also operate its new commercial branch for the Beijing-Tianjin region, a vital domestic market with a combined population of more than 110 million, according to AD Ports.
