Leading global enabler of trade, logistics and industry, AD Ports Group has announced the development of a unified, multi-modal inland logistics system of rail-linked dry ports as well as cargo depots, which will include Industry City of Abu Dhabi – ICAD of KEZAD Group.
The network will establish Khalifa Port and Fujairah Terminals as dual gateways for UAE industry and boost the flow of industrial cargo throughout the UAE as well as the wider region.
In this regard, the Group has signed Memoranda of Understanding – MoUs – with four of the leading manufacturers from the UAE – Emirates Global Aluminium – EGA, EMSTEEL Group, and Al Ghurair Iron & Steel – as well as Tenaris, so as to position them as anchor industrial cargo clients of AD Ports Group’s rail-linked inland logistics network.
The network will assist in the effective transportation of industrial inputs and finished goods along with strategic cargo throughout the UAE. It will link Khalifa Port and Fujairah Terminals to rail-linked inland dry ports, ICAD and cargo depots across the UAE and create a more comprehensive logistics infrastructure that enables smooth flows between production locations and inland markets as well as regional trade corridors.
It is well to be noted that the unified, multi-modal inland logistics system is designed to boost supply chain performance, allowing for more trustworthy incoming flows of industrial feedstock as well as raw materials to the UAE manufacturers, while providing more versatility for outbound distribution pertaining to finished and semi-finished goods via various inland and gateway options, enhancing corridor resilience, decreasing reliance on single gateways and enhancing accessibility to the UAE along with regional markets.
According to the managing director and group CEO of AD Ports Group, Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, “Through establishing a consolidated, multimodal inland logistics network, anchored by the UAE’s leading industrial champions, we aim to further strengthen the UAE’s industrial logistics backbone. This network will connect Khalifa Port and Fujairah Terminals to a rail-linked network of inland dry ports and cargo depots, enhancing commercial use of the UAE’s national rail infrastructure. It will also provide improved access to industrial inputs, greater export flexibility, and long-term competitiveness for national supply chains, in line with the vision of our wise leadership.”
Through bolstering inland cargo connectivity among ports, industrial zones as well as end markets, the integrated network will increase trade corridor flexibility for strategic cargo between the UAE and the region, in favour of the industrial growth agenda of the UAE. KEZAD manufacturers and industries, along with other industrial sectors in the UAE, will see the advantages of improved access to raw materials and a simplified export of finished goods via Khalifa Port and Fujairah Terminals, which happen to be the main entry and exit points.
