AD Ports and Invictus to launch new dry bulk shipping service
- 26 Sep 2022
AD Ports Group’s SAFEEN Feeders has signed a major agreement with Invictus Investment to launch a new international dry bulk shipping service.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will purchase ships through Special Purpose Vehicles, owned 85 per cent by SAFEEN Feeders and 15 per cent by Invictus Investment.
In addition, SAFEEN Feeders and Invictus Investment will form a joint venture to operate the service.
The joint venture will be owned 51 per cent by SAFEEN Feeders and 49 per cent by Invictus Investment.
The two companies are expected to initially commit approximately Dhs463 million ($126 million) for the investment in the vessels. Five ships of varying sizes are expected to be deployed within six months, starting in September 2022, with additional vessels envisaged as part of future growth plans.
The joint venture will serve as the carrier for Invictus’ dry-bulk trading business, which currently ships more than three million tonnes of commodities annually, principally wheat and complementary grains. The majority of the ships’ capacity will be provided to support this business.
In addition, the joint venture will also extend its commercial bulk shipping services to other companies globally, with an initial focus on the Red Sea and Pacific corridors, the Indian sub-continent as well as the Black Sea region, and with the capacity to ship to anywhere in the world within international navigating limits.
Under the joint venture agreement, Invictus Investment will commercially operate the vessels, and with Invictus’ large existing trading volumes added to the programme, it is expected to generate strong returns on the investment.
Invictus, which was listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) in June 2022 under the ticker INVICTUS, has leveraged its core competency in wheat trading to diversify into complementary grains, as well as cotton, groundnuts, meat, other commodities and finished goods. SAFEEN Feeders, which launched in 2020, has significantly expanded its fleet over the past two years, deploying new vessels of varying sizes and capacities for bulk and container services, boosting overall capacity to 23,400 TEUs.
Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group, said: “Under the guidance of our wise leadership, AD Ports Group continues to invest in new initiatives that stimulate economic diversification and support the recovery of international trade.
This is an important agreement for AD Ports Group as we look to expand the diverse portfolio of international dry bulk services that we provide for customers and strengthen food security in the region and around the world. Aligning SAFEEN Feeders shipping expertise with Invictus’ diverse sourcing network will help create a significant new operator, with global reach and a modern fleet.”
Amir Abdellatif, Chief Executive Officer of Invictus Investment Company, said: “Invictus Investment has rapidly developed into a multi-continent operational reach to support trade of a wide variety of commodities, agro-foods, and finished goods.
Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group; and Osama Daoud Abdellatif, Chairman of Invictus Investment Company, signed the agreement to launch a new international dry bulk shipping service.
This agreement with AD Ports Group ensures our commitment to investing in businesses that add synergies and value to our expanding trading business, and in building strong strategic partnerships. It is further aligned with our focus on investing in fixed assets to strengthen our logistics capacity. This will enable us to not only enhance efficiency in our operations, but will also support us as joint venture partners to grow together as a new international shipping service.”
Established in 2006, AD Ports Group today serves as the region’s premier facilitator of logistics, industry, and trade, as well as a bridge linking Abu Dhabi to the world. Listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, AD Ports Group’s vertically integrated business approach has proven instrumental in driving the emirate’s economic development over the past decade.
Operating several clusters covering Ports, Economic Cities & Free Zones, Maritime, Logistics, and Digital, AD Ports Group’s portfolio comprises 10 ports and terminals, and more than 550 square kilometres of economic zones within KEZAD Group, the largest integrated trade, logistics, and industrial business grouping in the Middle East.
Established in 2014 through its subsidiary Invictus Trading FZE, Invictus began trading wheat in the Middle East and North Africa region. With Invictus’ focus on food security as a key strategic pillar, the company has leveraged its core volume to diversify into complementary grains, as well as sesame, cotton, groundnuts, vegetable oil, meat, animal feed, and a variety of other commodities and finished goods. Owing to a diverse sourcing network.