AD Ports Group revealed its financial results for the second quarter of 2025. The group’s revenue surged by 15 percent year-on-year (YoY) to AED4.83 billion ($1.3 billion) in Q2 2025, fueled by the Ports, Economic Cities & Free Zones, and Maritime & Shipping clusters.
Quarterly EBITDA increased by 9 percent YoY to AED1.17 billion ($318.5 million), with the group’s EBITDA margin standing at 24.2 percent in Q2 2025. The group’s profit before tax reached AED519 million ($141.3 million), reflecting a 5 percent YoY increase, primarily due to higher depreciation and amortisation charges alongside finance costs. Total net profit remained relatively flat at AED445 million due to increased income tax, while earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter held steady at AED0.07, unchanged from the previous year.
Capital expenditure for the quarter amounted to AED928 million, with the majority of investments directed towards Maritime & Shipping, Economic Cities & Free Zones, and Ports assets. Capex intensity decreased to 19 percent of group revenue, down from 28 percent a year prior.
Given the robust operating profit performance and a cash conversion of 97 percent for the quarter, operating cash flow reached AED1.14 billion in Q2 2025, nearly doubling from the same period a year earlier. Consequently, Free Cash Flow to the Firm (FCFF) was positive for both the quarter and year-to-date.
Read more: AD Ports Group’s Q1 2025 revenue surges to $1.25 billion, net profit climbs 16 percent
Strong operational performance across clusters
The group’s underlying operational performance remained strong across the Ports, Economic Cities & Free Zones (EC&FZ), and Maritime & Shipping clusters, which collectively accounted for over 90 percent of total Q2 2025 EBITDA. In Ports, quarterly container throughput soared by 17 percent YoY, while general cargo volumes rose by 13 percent YoY.
The CMA Terminal at Khalifa Port, which began commercial operations at the start of 2025, achieved 80 percent utilisation in the quarter and 62 percent year-to-date. In EC&FZ, an additional 600,000 m² of land was leased in Q2 2025, bringing total land leases year-to-date to 1.6 km². Utilisation in the staff accommodation business, Sdeira Group, increased to 80 percent, up from 63 percent in Q2 2024 and 75 percent in Q1 2025.
In the Maritime & Shipping cluster, container feeder shipping volumes rose by 34 percent YoY, while the fleet of bulk, multipurpose, and Ro-Ro shipping vessels reached 34 as of Q2 2025, an increase from 28 at the same time last year.
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, managing director and group CEO, stated that the company’s five-cluster business model continues to foster sustainable growth despite a challenging macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape. He emphasized that the group’s strategic flexibility has enabled it to mitigate external headwinds and capitalize on opportunities in dynamic markets such as the Red Sea and emerging trade corridors in Central Asia.
He added, “The long-term profitable nature of our value-enhancing internationalisation, which, in line with the vision of our wise leadership in the UAE, and despite all temporary obstacles, is positioning AD Ports Group as a leader in sustainable trade, transport, logistics, and economic development.”
Exploring fintech and digital trade solutions
Last week, AD Ports Group and MBME Group, a UAE provider of financial technology and digital services, signed a framework agreement to explore the development of fintech and digital trade solutions for the Group.
Under the terms of the agreement, AD Ports Group and MBME Group will evaluate the creation of fintech and TradeTech solutions for both local and international markets. The collaboration will initially emphasize areas such as goods tracing, digital payments, compliance suites, e-signatures, onboarding, and whistleblowing systems, among others.
The partnership aims to identify opportunities to deliver innovative fintech and other solutions that align with AD Ports Group’s global trade and logistics operations, while furthering MBME Group’s mission to redefine financial technology services. The collaboration will also assess a variety of digital solutions currently in use by AD Ports Group, particularly focusing on unified traceability, which has become increasingly vital amid heightened industry efforts to verify goods characteristics such as product country of origin, shipment validation, goods movement paths, as well as sustainability and ESG reporting-related data, supplier collaboration, and import-export customs and tax duties, among other considerations. The framework agreement seeks to underscore the significance of seamless digital transformation as a crucial driver of international growth and competitive advantage.
