Photo Credit: AD Ports Group
Dubai, UAE — May 2026 — Abu Dhabi Ports Group reported robust financial performance in the first quarter of 2026, with revenues climbing 25 percent year-on-year to AED 5.75 billion ($1.56 billion), driven by organic growth across its maritime, shipping, and economic cities divisions.
According to the Emirates News Agency, Group EBITDA surged 33 percent year-on-year to AED 1.52 billion, with margins improving to 26.4 percent from 24.7 percent in the same period last year. Net profit jumped 41 percent to AED 653 million, boosted by operational efficiency, lower financing costs, and stronger contributions from joint ventures and associates.
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, managing director and Group CEO, said the group responded decisively to regional developments and their knock-on effects on global supply chains.
He noted that the performance during the forst quarter was strong, achieving double-digit growth in revenues and net profit of 25 percent and 41 percent respectively, adding that the group’s integrated business model and long-term contracts had once again enabled it to turn challenges into opportunities.
He pledged that AD Ports would continue to anticipate and adapt to global developments in line with the UAE’s leadership directives, ensuring sustainable value and continued growth for shareholders.
The results come against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions in the Arabian Gulf, which tested the group’s operational resilience. In response, AD Ports activated business continuity measures, rerouting shipping operations through Fujairah and Khor Fakkan ports and establishing new land and air bridges supported by expanded warehousing facilities.
The group launched emergency feeder shipping services and redeployed its container and bulk cargo fleet — now standing at 63 vessels, up from 41 in the first quarter of 2025 — while launching new routes connecting to ports in India, Pakistan, Oman, the Red Sea, and upper Arabian Gulf.
A land bridge using 800 trucks and four new daily rail services via Etihad Rail was also activated, moving cargo from Fujairah and Khor Fakkan through secure customs corridors to Khalifa Port, Jebel Ali, and Sharjah. Warehousing capacity currently exceeds 76,000 square meters, with plans to expand to 188,000 square meters.
Maritime and Shipping delivered strong results on both volume and pricing, particularly in regional container feeder services, ro-ro vessels, and tankers. Regional container feeder volumes rose 20 percent year-on-year to 871,000 TEUs.
Economic Cities and Free Zones maintained growth momentum, with new industrial land lease contracts adding 843,000 sq. meters of net leasable area at KEZAD Abu Dhabi. KEZAD also completed the sale of a warehouse portfolio to Meer Group for AED 295 million and sold a 1 sq. kilometers mixed-use plot to Danube Properties for AED 840 million.
Ports in the UAE showed resilience despite regional headwinds, though quarterly container volumes dipped 5 percent and general cargo volumes fell 23 percent year-on-year — losses largely offset by international volume growth of 17 percent and 21 percent respectively. UAE container capacity utilization stood at 54 percent, while international utilization reached 65 percent, up from 58 percent in the first three months of 2025.
