AD Ports Group has signed a Joint Venture and Shareholders agreement with France-based CMA CGM Group to acquire a 20% stake in the Latakia International Container Terminal (LICT) for AED 81 million (US$22 million).
LICT is Syria’s primary maritime gateway handling over 95% of the country’s container volumes, especially for agricultural products and industrial goods.
The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group, and Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM Group.
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said: “We are pleased to broaden our long-standing partnership with our valued partner, CMA CGM Group. This strategic agreement reflects the growing international collaboration between our organisations and reinforces AD Ports Group’s position as a global enabler of trade, logistics, and industry.
“Guided by the wise vision of our leadership in the United Arab Emirates, we are shaping a future defined by global connectivity, through strong alliances with leading organisations such as CMA CGM Group, partnerships that are mutually beneficial and contribute towards expanding our international footprint and the scale of our operations.”
This new partnership will drive the modernisation of terminal infrastructure, digital systems, and operational performance, with a strategic focus on restoring Latakia’s role as a vital trade gateway for Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean, thereby supporting enhanced trade flows and long-term economic growth.
CMA Terminals has been operating LICT since 2009 and has signed an amended 30-year concession agreement last May. LICT’s current capacity stands at 250,000 TEUs with plans to increase it to 625,000 TEUs by the end of 2026.
Additionally, GFS, AD Ports Group’s 51%-owned container feeder shipping company, is well-positioned to commence services on the East Mediterranean side that would include calling at Latakia port.
This new partnership between AD Ports Group and CMA CGM Group further strengthens and expands their relationship. In December 2024, His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, inaugurated CMA Terminals Khalifa Port, a state-of-the-art AED3.1 billion (US$845 million) container terminal, operated by a joint venture between CMA Terminals, a subsidiary of CMA CGM Group (70%), and AD Ports Group (30%).
Building on this success, both parties signed a shareholders’ agreement in February 2025 to jointly develop, manage, and operate the New East Mole multipurpose terminal in Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo.
Further strengthening connectivity and enhancing the commercial reach of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port, AD Ports Group inaugurated Al Faya Dry Port in February 2025, a customs-bonded inland facility seamlessly linked to Khalifa Port, serving as a key transit hub that accelerates speed to market and delivers cost-efficient cargo handling solutions for Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
