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AD Ports Group announced on February 5, 2026, that it had signed a 30-year concession agreement with Aqaba Development Corporation to manage and operate the Aqaba Multipurpose Port, Jordan’s only general cargo and multipurpose seaport. The pact creates a joint venture in which AD Ports Group will hold a 70 percent stake and the Jordanian entity the remaining 30 percent. Under the terms the group will invest AED 141 million, equivalent to $38.4 million, in the venture while supplying port development and operational expertise, with formal operations scheduled to commence in August 2026. The signing took place at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority headquarters.
The Aqaba Multipurpose Port handles 80 percent of Jordan’s exports and 65 percent of its imports, according to AD Ports Group data. It offers an annual throughput capacity of 11 million tonnes across nine berths with a total quay length of around two kilometres and a draft of 13.5 metres. The facility manages general cargo, grains, livestock, roll-on/roll-off traffic and project cargo. In 2025 the port recorded movement of 5.3 million tonnes of cargo together with 85,000 cars, figures released by the company show.
Total investments under the concession are projected to reach approximately AED 670 million over the 30-year period while generating revenues in excess of AED 1.5 billion, project details issued with the announcement indicated. The commitment extends beyond the initial equity injection to encompass infrastructure upgrades and digital enhancements. Such outlays are expected to lift the port’s contribution to national trade flows that rely heavily on the Red Sea gateway.
This agreement represents AD Ports Group’s largest investment to date in Jordan and builds directly on initiatives pursued since 2021, the company statement said. Those earlier projects included inauguration of the Aqaba Cruise Terminal in 2023, launch of the Maqta Ayla digital port community system, advancement of the Marsa Zayed development and award of the Al Madounah Customs Centre contract in Amman. The accumulated work has targeted improvements in tourism, logistics and cross-border trade facilitation within the special economic zone.
The transaction increases AD Ports Group’s global portfolio to 35 terminals, according to the group’s published portfolio data. The ports cluster operates across the UAE, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Spain, Egypt and multiple African nations including Tanzania, Angola, Cameroon and Congo while forming one of five business divisions that also cover economic cities, logistics, maritime shipping and digital solutions. Company information places the group’s overall presence in more than 50 countries with more than 6,700 employees and over 140 offices worldwide.
Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, group chief executive officer of AD Ports Group, said in the statement that the signing represents a continuation of the strong and enduring economic cooperation between the two countries. Aqaba Development Corporation officials described the partnership as a milestone that will enhance operational standards and reinforce the port’s role as a regional logistics hub. The development aligns with broader UAE-Jordan coordination on infrastructure that has encompassed a proposed $2.3 billion railway project linking the two economies.
