AD Ports Group reported a record net profit of AED 975 million ($265.5 million) for the third quarter of 2026, marking a 64% year-on-year increase. Group revenue rose 48% to AED 7.99 billion ($2.18 billion), while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) grew 63% to AED 1.97 billion, lifting the EBITDA margin to 24.6% from 22.3% a year earlier.
The performance was driven by the Maritime & Shipping cluster, which generated AED 4.74 billion, up 56% year-on-year and accounting for 58% of total group revenue. The cluster's EBITDA more than doubled to AED 1.23 billion, supported by higher rates and an expanded fleet of 76 bulk, multipurpose, and roll-on/roll-off vessels compared to 48 a year earlier. The Logistics cluster also grew rapidly, with revenue increasing 76% to AED 1.96 billion.
In contrast, container throughput across the group's UAE terminals dropped 57% year-on-year to 751,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) due to vessel traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Bulk and general cargo volumes in the UAE fell 54% to 4.5 million tonnes. However, UAE container throughput recovered by more than 30% compared with the second quarter of 2026, and domestic capacity utilisation improved from 22% in the second quarter to 29% in the third.
To counter the maritime bottlenecks, AD Ports Group diverted feeder and cargo services to Fujairah Terminals and Khor Fakkan Port on the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz under the UAE's National Programme to Strengthen Supply Chain Resilience. The group also implemented land and air transport bridges alongside additional regional warehousing.
For the first nine months of 2026, AD Ports Group accumulated AED 20.83 billion in revenue, up 41% year-on-year, with total net profit rising 64% to AED 2.46 billion. The Economic Cities & Free Zones cluster reported quarterly revenue of AED 690 million, up 15%, supported by 1.2 square kilometres of net new industrial land leases at KEZAD Abu Dhabi.
Sources
- Container Management · 2026-11-11
