AD Ports Group launches trial operations at Safaga terminal in Egypt

AD Ports Group has launched trial operations at Noatum Ports – Safaga Terminal in Egypt ahead of the facility’s full commercial opening later this year.

His Excellency Lieutenant-General Eng. Kamel El Wazir, Egypt’s Minister of Transport, and Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group, toured the new terminal alongside senior officials.

The visit included a review of operational systems, processes and infrastructure designed to ensure the terminal is ready for full-scale operations.

AD Ports Group is developing and operating the terminal under a 30-year concession agreement signed in 2023 with Egypt’s Red Sea Ports Authority (RSPA).

Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, Egypt’s Minister of Transport, said the project strengthens cooperation between Egypt and AD Ports Group across the maritime sector.

“Safaga Terminal serves as a key gateway for the development of Upper Egypt and will play a vital role in supporting the mining activities associated with the Golden Triangle Economic Zone,” he said.

He added that the terminal will facilitate import and export activities, improve regional connectivity and attract investments in industrial, logistics, warehousing, processing and assembly sectors.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group, described Egypt as one of the Group’s most important international markets.

“With strategic access to the Red Sea, Noatum Ports – Safaga Terminal reinforces our position as an enabler of trade across key waterways,” he said.

“We look forward to the full operational launch of our new terminal later this year, which represents another major step in our cooperation with our partners in Egypt.”

The new terminal covers approximately 810,000 square metres and features a 1,000-metre quay wall.

Once fully operational, it will handle up to 450,000 TEUs annually. The facility will also have capacity for 5 million tonnes of dry bulk and general cargo, 1 million tonnes of liquid bulk and 50,000 CEUs of Ro-Ro cargo.

AD Ports Group said the facility will become the first internationally operated port terminal in Upper Egypt. The terminal will strengthen trade links between Egypt, the Middle East, Africa and global shipping routes.

The Safaga project forms part of AD Ports Group’s broader expansion strategy in Egypt and along the Red Sea.

In April 2026, Noatum Ports received three ship-to-shore cranes and six rubber-tyred gantry cranes for the terminal.

The Group recently launched cruise operations at terminals in Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and Safaga. It also supports ferry services linking Safaga and NEOM to transport Hajj pilgrims between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

AD Ports Group is also developing the 20-square-kilometre KEZAD East Port Said Industrial and Logistics Park near the Suez Canal.

In November 2025, the company invested EGP 13.2 billion (US$279 million) to acquire a 19.3% stake in Alexandria Container & Cargo Handling Company (ALCN) and later moved to secure a majority stake.