AD Ports Group expands into Egypt as it readies new multipurpose terminal in Safaga

Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group preparing to receive three state-of-the-art Panamax cranes from Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (ZPMC), ordered for the Group’s new multipurpose cargo terminal in Safaga, Egypt, which is expected to be operational in the second half of 2026. 

Under a 30-year concession agreement signed with the Red Sea Ports Authority (RSPA) in 2023, the Group is developing and will operate a multi-purpose terminal in Safaga Port.

AD Ports Group is investing AED 193 million ($52 million) in three ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, and six hybrid rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes for Noatum Ports - Safaga Terminal. 

The impending delivery of the cranes signals the start of final preparations for Noatum Ports - Safaga Terminal, following the appointment, in December last year, of Hassan Allam Construction, Egypt’s leading engineering and construction company, to build the infrastructure of the multipurpose terminal on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, which will be the first internationally operated port terminal in Upper Egypt region.

The terminal’s area includes erecting superstructure, equipment, buildings, and utilities to create advanced facilities and leading-edge infrastructure  and handle diverse cargo including dry bulk, liquid bulk, containerised cargo and Ro-Ro vehicles.

The Safaga concession is part of a broader expansion into Egypt’s Red Sea region, where the Group also has concessions to   operate three cruise passenger terminal in Safaga, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, and has initialled agreements with Egyptian authorities to operate a passenger cruise terminal and a Ro-Ro terminal in Ain Sokhna, near the Red Sea mouth of the Suez Canal. Through its Egyptian maritime shipping lines, Transmar, TCI, and Safina B.V., the Group is also a major provider of connectivity to local and international clients.