Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT), manager and operator of Khalifa Port Container Terminal (KPCT) – the region’s first semi-automated container terminal – celebrated its tenth year anniversary on May 17, 2016 in Abu Dhabi.
ADT was established in 2006 as part of the restructuring of the commercial ports sector in the Emirate, and is owned by Abu Dhabi Ports, Mubadala and Mubadala Infrastructure Partners.
Its decade of success includes tripling container volumes in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi while increasing the shipping network from 5 to more than 50 direct destinations since the transition of Zayed Port to Khalifa Port.
ADT’s latest success came when KPCT was named the world’s second fastest growing port based on its 2015 volume, which stood at more than 1.5 million TEU, which is 32% more than the 2014 result.
Technical Paper: Khalifa Port: The Engine to Abu Dhabi’s Growth
ADT’s double-digit growth in the last five years can be attributed to its value-added supply chain services that include the opening of a 700 Metric Tonnes polymer packing plant inside the terminal for its long-term supply chain partner Borouge.
Over the years, ADT also increased its warehousing capabilities to offer faster and more efficient supply chain solutions and reduce costs for its customers.
Abdulkareem Al Masabi, Chairman of ADT, said: “As we celebrate a decade of growth, prosperity, and success, Abu Dhabi Terminals has proved to be an inspirational story of commercial, economic, and technological advancement, while maintaining core values that celebrate our rich cultural heritage.
“We have succeeded in bringing markets closer to Abu Dhabi, providing a required gateway to get Abu Dhabi where it is today and sustain this momentum into the future.”
Martijn van de Linde, CEO of ADT, said: “We would like to thank our maritime and trade customers for the successes that Abu Dhabi Terminals has achieved in the past 10 years.
“The success of our customers is, and will continue to be, our success. This milestone is a testament to our commitment to continued innovation, and to the future of the company, our partners and the industry.”
ADT is now ready for the next phase of expansion at Khalifa Port and additional cranes will be added in 2016-2017 to increase the terminal’s annual capacity and satisfy the future demand and volume growth potential.
Annual throughput at Abu Dhabi’s container port will grow to 2.5 million TEU at the completion of this phase of expansion. The facility has future expansion capabilities to grow its annual throughput capacity to five million TEU.
Fact File: ADT core business is to manage and operate KPCT for which it secured the exclusive rights in 2012 by signing a 30-year concession.
