ADQ, a holding company with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy, announced on Tuesday its intention to proceed with listing shares of Abu Dhabi Ports Company, an Abu Dhabi based global trade enabler encompassing diverse assets including ports, industrial cities and free zones, maritime, logistics and digital.

The listing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) is expected to comprise a sale of a portion of existing shares to investors in the UAE.

Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Ports, said, “Today’s announcement marks another important step in Abu Dhabi Ports’ ongoing journey as we consolidate our leading role in the maritime and logistics sectors. Thanks to our leadership’s wisdom and foresight, Abu Dhabi enjoys the stable economic environment that has driven our ongoing growth, encouraged us to embrace innovation and ensured we have been able to build world-class partnerships with international champions.”

Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, CEO of ADQ, commented, “With a strong leadership team in place, we are confident Abu Dhabi Ports is well-positioned to continue progressing on its strategy towards becoming a global trade and commercial hub. With 14 listings already in 2021, ADX is an ideal choice to give investors access to a high quality, high growth potential maritime and logistics leader due to its growing liquidity and resiliency.”

Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Group CEO, Abu Dhabi Ports, said, “We are committed to driving innovation and development across the global maritime and logistics industries to support the growth of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Over the past year, we have delivered on our long-term strategy focused on driving global trade through an integrated portfolio of world-class ports, industrial zones and logistics supply chains.” For the year ended 31st December 2020, Abu Dhabi Ports reported revenues of Dhs3.4 billion, a growth of Dhs0.7 billion (c. 24 per cent) compared to 2019 despite the COVID-19 impact. Growth was delivered across key revenue streams backed by strong operational performance. Ebitda of Abu Dhabi Ports grew by 37 per cent to reach Dhs1.5 billion in 2020 and Ebitda margins improved from 40.7 per cent in 2019 to 45.2 per cent in 2020. Abu Dhabi Ports’ asset base expanded by Dhs3.1 billion, reaching a total of Dhs 24.8 billion as of 31 December 2020.

The proposed listing is currently expected to occur before the end of 2021, subject to market conditions and obtaining relevant regulatory approvals.

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) announced earlier that it has taken a key step towards launching a derivatives market this year by signing an agreement with Nasdaq to deliver marketplace technology solutions, including matching, real-time clearing and settlement technology.

ADX is rapidly expanding asset classes and developing new offerings for both regional and international investors. The ADX General Index (ADI) has recently reached 7700 points for the first time, supported by a series of listings and increased participation by international investors. In addition, the index has gained 52% year to date, making it one of the best performing equity indexes in the world.