AD Ports Group has increased its stake in Dubai-based feeder operator Global Feeder Shipping (GFS) from 51 per cent to 81 per cent through a AED 1.1 billion ($300 million) transaction.
The Group exercised a call option agreed during its initial acquisition of GFS in February 2024, when it purchased a 51 per cent holding in the company. The deal was completed at the same enterprise valuation of AED 3.67 billion ($1 billion) established during the original transaction.
The acquisition will be financed through a combination of debt and asset monetisation.
GFS, ranked as the world’s fourth-largest container feeder operator by capacity, has become a central component of AD Ports Group’s maritime and logistics portfolio.
The operator provides feeder connectivity across the GCC, Indian Subcontinent, Red Sea, Far East, Mediterranean and African markets, linking major transhipment hubs with smaller regional ports.
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The move gives AD Ports Group greater operational and strategic control over a business that has expanded rapidly since the Group entered the feeder shipping sector in 2020. It also deepens integration between GFS and the Group’s ports, logistics and economic zone operations.
In 2025, GFS transported 2.8 million TEUs and completed more than 700 voyages across 89 ports in 54 countries. Since the initial acquisition in 2024, the company has generated cumulative EBITDA exceeding AED 1.8 billion ($500 million).
Together with SAFEEN Feeders and Transmar, GFS forms the backbone of AD Ports Group’s container feeder business, which recorded a 17 per cent year-on-year revenue increase in 2025.
The Group’s Maritime & Shipping Cluster generated AED 10.7 billion ($2.9 billion) in revenue during 2025, representing a 33 per cent increase year-on-year (YoY), while EBITDA rose 25 per cent to AED 2.5 billion ($680 million). The division accounted for 51 per cent of total Group revenue and 45 per cent of EBITDA.
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Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director & Group CEO of AD Ports Group, said: “Through the acquisition of an additional 30 per cent stake in Global Feeder Shipping, AD Ports Group is reaffirming its commitment to investing in one of the most important and high-performing assets within our integrated business portfolio.
“GFS has expanded our reach into new markets and brought us closer to our customers, connecting our ports to more economies across the Red Sea and the Gulf at a time when reliable trade connectivity matters most.”
Amir Maghami, CEO of Global Feeder Shipping, added: “While the shipping industry continues to adapt to volatile market conditions, AD Ports Group’s support has enabled us to steadily expand our services and grow our fleet.”
For more information:
AD Ports Group – https://www.adportsgroup.com/
