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AD Ports Group on Tuesday announced it was preparing to receive three new state-of-the-art Panamax cranes from Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co Ltd (ZPMC), ordered for the group’s new multipurpose cargo terminal in Safaga, Egypt, which is expected to be operational in the second half of 2026.
Under a 30-year concession agreement signed with the Red Sea Ports Authority (RSPA) in 2023, the group is developing and will operate a multipurpose terminal in Safaga Port.
AD Ports Group is investing AED193 million in three ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and six hybrid rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes for Noatum Ports – Safaga Terminal.
This is in addition to a contract for six ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, and 17 hybrid rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes awarded to ZPMC for a cost of over AED420 million to be deployed in terminal projects in New East Mole Terminal in Pointe Noire – Republic of the Congo, and Noatum Ports, Luanda Terminal in Angola as announced by AD Ports Group in September last year.
The impending delivery of the cranes signals the start of final preparations for Noatum Ports – Safaga Terminal, following the appointment, in December last year, of Hassan Allam Construction, Egypt’s leading engineering and construction company, to build the infrastructure of the multipurpose terminal on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, which will be the first internationally operated port terminal in Upper Egypt region.
The terminal’s area includes erecting superstructure, equipment, buildings, and utilities to create advanced facilities and leading-edge infrastructure and handle diverse cargo including dry bulk, liquid bulk, containerised cargo and Ro-Ro vehicles.
Noatum Ports – Safaga Terminal will encompass approximately 810,000 square metres, a 1,000-metre quay wall, with container capacity of 450K TEUs, five million tonnes dry bulk and general cargo capacity, 1 million tonnes liquid bulk capacity, Ro-Ro facilities with 50K CEUs capacity, as well as common areas.
The multiple facilities will include administration buildings, workshops, warehouses, and authority buildings, along with extensive infrastructure development including roads, utilities and security systems.
The project will feature a 48,000 square metre concrete apron, an 80,354 square metre container terminal with supporting infrastructure, and approximately 66,360 square metres for general cargo and break-bulk operations.
Ahmed Al Mutawa, AD Ports Group Regional CEO, said “Noatum Ports – Safaga Terminal will support Egypt’s economic development with the creation of the Red Sea region’s most modern, efficient terminal facility, which will vastly improve the area’s connectivity and lower costs for traders and businesses. We are committed to delivering on our agreement to realise this world-class facility with our Egyptian partners, the Egyptian Ministry of Transport and RSPA.
He added that Noatum Ports – Safaga Terminal is an important milestone in developing the group’s growing ports and maritime strategy in Egypt.
The Safaga concession is part of a broader expansion into Egypt’s Red Sea region, where the group also has concessions to operate three cruise passenger terminals in Safaga, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, and has initialed agreements with Egyptian authorities to operate a passenger cruise terminal and a Ro-Ro terminal in Ain Sokhna, near the Red Sea mouth of the Suez Canal.
Through its Egyptian maritime shipping lines, Transmar, TCI, and Safina BV, the group is also a major provider of connectivity to local and international clients.