AD Ports Group and Emirates Global ‎Aluminium (EGA), the largest premium aluminium producer in the world, have signed an ‎agreement to enhance EGA’s dedicated berth at Khalifa Port.‎
As part of their longstanding strategic partnership, AD Ports Group and EGA will jointly ‎invest AED 84 million in a multi-phase berth enhancement programme to upgrade EGA’s ‎dedicated port infrastructure and accommodate Newcastlemax dry bulk vessels, which ‎can transport 15–20% more cargo than the Capesize vessels currently calling at ‎EGA’s berth. The enhancements will further improve berth productivity, operational ‎efficiency, and overall cargo-handling performance.‎
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Upon completion of the planned works by August 2028, the upgraded berth is expected ‎to support the handling of approximately 8 million tonnes of bulk cargo annually. The ‎project will also enhance operational flexibility by enabling the installation of additional ‎unloader facilities. ‎
In addition, the enhancement programme includes upgrades to the existing capping ‎beam, the installation of new bollards and fenders, the extension of crane beams and ‎foundations, the provision of additional utility connections, and dredging works. ‎Collectively, these enhancements will facilitate the safe and efficient accommodation of ‎larger vessel classes while supporting the anticipated increase in future bulk-handling ‎volumes.‎
Saif Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive Officer – Ports Cluster, AD Ports Group, said: ‎‎“This agreement underscores our commitment to investing in world-class port ‎infrastructure that supports the continued growth of the UAE’s industrial and trade ‎sectors. It also reinforces our strategic partnership with Emirates Global Aluminium, a ‎global leader in premium aluminium and one of the nation’s most important industrial ‎champions. Through collaborative, long-term investment, we are enhancing the ‎capabilities of critical trade infrastructure while enabling our partners to grow and ‎compete more effectively on the global stage. Such partnerships remain central to AD ‎Ports Group’s strategy and continue to support our profitable growth as a leading trade ‎enabler across global markets.”‎
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium ‎‎(EGA), said: “Khalifa Port is a strategic gateway for EGA’s global operations. This ‎collaboration with AD Ports Group will strengthen long-term capacity, efficiency, and ‎performance of our dedicated berth at Khalifa Port, ensuring the safe and reliable ‎handling of the raw materials essential to our operations. The project will further ‎strengthen our ability to produce the high-quality aluminium that enables modern life and ‎supports industries around the world.”‎
This collaboration builds on the longstanding strategic partnership between AD Ports ‎Group and EGA, and reflects their shared focus on operational excellence, infrastructure ‎resilience, and sustainable industrial growth. ‎
Khalifa Port, ranked 39th in the prestigious Lloyd’s List Top 100 Ports for 2025, is also a ‎regional container hub to three of the world’s largest shipping lines – CMA CGM, ‎COSCO, and MSC. It also serves as a technologically advanced maritime gateway to ‎Abu Dhabi, providing seamless multimodal access to Khalifa Economic Zones – Abu ‎Dhabi (KEZAD), the Middle East’s largest integrated system of economic cities and free ‎zones, and extending inland connectivity across the UAE and wider Gulf region through ‎the dry ports of Al Faya and Al Ain.Â