UAE-based port and terminal operator AD Ports Group formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pakistan Board of Investment in Karachi.
This agreement aims to investigate the potential development of an industrial zone adjacent to Karachi Port and Port Qasim, enhancing trade and economic activities in the region.
In addition, the Group announced the signing of three other agreements, utilizing the comprehensive capabilities of its five-business cluster structure—encompassing ports, economic cities and free zones, maritime and shipping, logistics, and digital services.
Pakistan serves as a crucial component of the Group’s strategic expansion in Central Asia, acting as the maritime gateway of the “Middle Corridor” that links Asia and Europe. The Group has extended its maritime and logistics operations into Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, enhancing this route.
The redevelopment of Karachi Port, Pakistan’s principal port with vital overland links to Central Asia, is set to transform the “Middle Corridor” into a modern, cost-efficient maritime route.
The signing of agreements and the Memorandum of Understanding authorize new partnerships with various Pakistani entities aimed at digitalizing and enhancing the customs management systems at Karachi Port, and improving the quality and range of marine services, dredging, and vessel pooling.
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group, stated that the AD Ports Group is dedicated to enabling trade not just in the UAE but globally.
Details of the new strategic partnerships include:
- A collaboration between AD Ports Group’s Maqta Technologies and Pakistan’s PSW to bolster Pakistan’s Single Window systems through an alliance with Pakistan Customs Services.
- A partnership with Bahria Foundation to boost dredging productivity, marine services, and vessel pooling at Karachi Port.
- An agreement between the Group’s Noatum Logistics and KGTL, a joint venture with Kaheel Terminals, aimed at delivering extensive, integrated logistics solutions across air, ocean, and inland transport, including specialized warehousing and distribution services, to forge a broader corridor into Pakistan and Central Asia.
