AD Ports Group, a global premier facilitator of logistics, industry and trade, announced its financial results for the 12 months ended December 31, 2022, reporting strong operational and financial performance, with revenue growth of 41% year-on-year to AED 5.5 billion (+23% year-on-year to AED 4.8 billion organically), according to the company's release.
The Group’s strong results were driven by the performance of its Maritime and Ports Clusters as well as acquisitions and new partnerships.
Operationally, in the Ports Cluster, container throughput grew to 4.33 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2022, +28% year-on-year (+27% year-on-year to 1.17 million TEUs in Q4 2022) as utilisation of the two existing container terminals continued to improve (51% in 2022 vs. 40% in 2021 and 55% in Q4 2022 vs. 43% in Q4 2021).
On a like-for-like (LFL) basis, general cargo volumes increased by 3% to reach 31.7 million tonnes in 2022, compared with 44.6 million tonnes in 2021, which included a one-off sand supply project of 14.7 million tonnes.
Ro-Ro and Cruise Passenger volumes also rebounded strongly on the back of the abated effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the EC&FZ Cluster, 4.2 sq.km. of new leases (net) were signed in 2022.
In the Maritime Cluster, all operational indicators - vessel fleet, port calls, container feedering volumes, transhipment volumes, marine services activities - recorded strong growth.
In the Logistics Cluster, the key highlight in Q4 2022 was the acquisition announcement of 100% ownership of Noatum, a logistics services provider with presence in 26 countries across five continents, for an Enterprise Value of EUR 660 million. The value and earnings accretive acquisition, will, upon completion, significantly broaden AD Ports Group’s global footprint and position it among the leading logistics and freight forwarding companies in the world.
Another key highlight in Q4 2022 was the acquisition announcement of an 80% equity stake in Dubai-based Global Feeder Shipping (GFS), a global container shipping company, for an Enterprise Value of AED 2.9 billion (USD 800 million). GFS is the third largest feeder shipping business globally, operating a comprehensive service network of 20 services across the GCC, Red Sea, Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Upon completion, the acquisition, is set to position AD Ports Group as the largest pure feeder operator in the region and the third largest globally by container capacity, which will be close to 100,000 TEUs.
In September 2022, AD Ports Group also completed the acquisition of a 70% stake in International Associated Cargo Carrier (IACC) in Egypt, which fully owns Transmar and TCI, for an Enterprise Value of AED 514 million (USD 140 million).
In total, the Group inked seven M&A transactions in 2022 totalling AED 5.9 billion, with GFS, Noatum, and Eskan Al Jamae yet to be completed.
In terms of financial performance, EC&FZ Cluster recorded revenue increase of 6% year-on-year to reach AED 1,658 million in 2022, benefitting from previously signed land leases, higher utilities revenues, strong momentum in warehouses revenues, as well as positive revenue effect of previous contingent asset related to leases out of Razeen worker residential cities for COVID-19 isolation and quarantine purposes.
Overall revenue for the Ports Cluster grew by 7% year-on-year to AED 1,135 million, backed by a healthy product mix as well as revenues from the acquisition of TCI, one of the two entities under IACC, Egypt. Double-digit growth in concession fees and leases as well as the strong rebound in the Ro-Ro and Cruise businesses more than offset the decline in General Cargo revenues, which significantly benefited from the sand supply contract in 2021. On a like-for-like (LFL) basis, Ports Cluster revenue grew by 21% year-on-year, when adjusted for both the sand supply project and the TCI acquisition.