Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
The guide, titled Abu Dhabi’s Compass for Maritime Businesses: Your Gateway to Global Opportunity, has been introduced by Maritime Hub Abu Dhabi, the sector collaboration platform operated by Abu Dhabi Maritime and led by the Integrated Transport Centre, known as Abu Dhabi Mobility. The initiative is designed to help international maritime businesses assess the emirate’s regulatory environment, infrastructure, commercial networks and lifestyle advantages before setting up operations.
Captain Saif Al Mheiri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Maritime and Group Chief Sustainability and Risk Officer at AD Ports Group, said the launch marked a significant step in strengthening the competitiveness of Abu Dhabi’s maritime sector. He said the guide was intended to attract companies and entrepreneurs from around the world and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s standing as a leading global maritime hub.
Al Mheiri said the Abu Dhabi Maritime Centre, working with the Integrated Transport Centre, had developed the guide to introduce investors to promising opportunities across the emirate’s maritime economy. He said it would encourage businesses to join Abu Dhabi’s maritime community by giving them clearer access to data-supported insights, market contacts and the wider network of maritime leaders, experts and researchers active through Maritime Hub Abu Dhabi.
The publication presents Abu Dhabi as a trade and logistics base at the intersection of major shipping lanes linking Asia, Africa, Europe and the wider Gulf. Its release comes as the emirate continues to position maritime investment as a pillar of economic diversification, alongside aviation, industry, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and financial services.
The guide sets out the main components of the local maritime ecosystem, including ports, terminals, free zones, logistics assets, vessel services, shipping operations, marine leisure facilities, technology platforms and sustainability initiatives. It also provides information on the business environment, institutional stakeholders and the practical steps available to companies seeking to establish a presence in the emirate.
Dr Abdulla Hamad AlGhfeli, Acting Director General of the Integrated Transport Centre, said the guide supported the UAE’s economic vision by presenting Abu Dhabi’s maritime sector as an attractive and competitive opportunity for global business leaders. He said Maritime Hub Abu Dhabi would continue to promote the emirate as a resilient, sustainable and future-ready maritime centre.
The launch is closely tied to the growth of AD Ports Group, which has become one of the central players in Abu Dhabi’s trade strategy. The group operates across five main clusters covering digital services, economic cities and free zones, logistics, maritime and shipping, and ports. Its ports cluster owns and operates 27 ports and terminals, while its wider platform connects industrial zones, shipping services, warehousing, freight forwarding and digital trade systems.
AD Ports Group’s first-quarter performance this year underscored the scale of activity behind Abu Dhabi’s maritime push. Revenue rose 25 per cent year on year to AED5.75 billion, while net profit increased 41 per cent to AED653 million. Maritime and shipping operations were among the stronger contributors, helped by container feeder services, tankers, drydocking and fleet expansion.
Container feeder shipping volumes reached 871,000 TEUs in the first quarter, up 20 per cent from a year earlier. The group’s bulk, multipurpose and roll-on/roll-off vessel fleet expanded to 63 ships from 41 during the same period a year before. These figures have given Abu Dhabi additional leverage in marketing itself to international companies seeking a regional base with port capacity, logistics depth and access to industrial customers.
Abu Dhabi’s wider offer also includes Khalifa Port, KEZAD and a growing network of logistics corridors. KEZAD has continued to attract industrial land leases, manufacturing investments and warehousing demand, strengthening the link between maritime services and downstream industrial activity. The emirate has also used rail, road and alternative port connections to reinforce supply chain resilience during periods of regional disruption.
The guide appears aimed at reducing one of the common barriers facing foreign maritime companies entering new markets: fragmented information. By consolidating contacts, sector data and business environment details, officials are seeking to make the entry process clearer for ship operators, marine technology firms, port services companies, logistics providers, financiers, insurers and maritime start-ups.
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