AD Ports Group to ramp up operations in Kazakhstan via fleet and terminal expansion

The Government of Kazakhstan and UAE-based port operator the AD Ports Group have entered into a number of agreements intended to broaden the latter's operations in Kazakhstan.

Building on its partnership with KazMunayGas (KMG), the national oil company of Kazakhstan, which began in December 2022, the AD Ports Group entered into an agreement with KMG relating to Caspian and open sea fleet expansion.

Under the agreement, the AD Ports Group and KMG will commission up to four shallow-draught 780TEU container vessels designed for use on the Caspian Sea.

The partners are also contemplating investment in up to four Aframax crude oil tankers to increase support to Kazakhstan’s energy sector.

The AD Ports Group and SEMURG Invest have meanwhile entered into an agreement to establish a joint venture to design, develop, finance, and operate the Sarzha Multipurpose Marine Terminal (SMT) at Kuryk Seaport on the Caspian Sea.

SMT will be designed to handle general and dry bulk cargo as well as containers.

In addition to the terminal and vessel agreements, the AD Ports Group also exchanged memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with three Kazakh organisations – Kazakh Invest, the nation’s trade development group, the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan, and Special Economic Zone Morport Aktau – to explore joint trade development efforts.

Under the MoUs, the AD Ports Group will work with each partner to assess opportunities to promote and develop trade, economic, and industrial cooperation between the UAE and Kazakhstan through joint events, information exchanges, and other measures.

To date, the AD Ports Group has invested US$175 million in Kazakhstan-based projects. One of these projects is the two-phase construction of a new grain terminal at SMT.