AD Ports Group and Transmar International Shipping Company have launched a new container shipping service that will link Karachi, Pakistan’s busiest port, with the major maritime economies of the Middle East and East Africa. The new route will contribute to AD Ports Group’s strategic objectives of increasing regional and global connectivity. 

 

The new route will provide weekly connections for cargo between Karachi Port and AD Ports Group’s flagship Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, in addition to Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, Dammam and Jeddah in KSA, Aqaba in Jordan, Sokhna and Adabiya in Egypt, plus Port Sudan and Djibouti. 

 

Karachi Port is a key economic hub that deals with approximately 60% of Pakistan’s cargo, handling on average 26 million tonnes of cargo per annum. The deep natural port offers an 11 km approach channel, which enables safe navigation for vessels up to 75,000 tonnes deadweight. 

The launch of the new route follows AD Ports Group’s acquisition of a 70% shareholding in Egypt-based Transmar and Transcargo International (TCI) in September 2022.

 

Deploying synergies

The new service uses containers provided by Transmar on slots, largely provided by other AD Ports Group companies Safeen Feeders and Global Feeder Shipping (GFS), which it acquired earlier this month. By deploying synergies between its companies, AD Ports Group is looking to significantly enhance connectivity across the region. 

 

Captain Ammar Mubarak Al Shaiba, Acting CEO – Maritime Cluster and Safeen Group, AD Ports Group, said: “The new weekly service will connect Pakistan’s busiest port with key maritime hubs across the Gulf, Red Sea, and East Africa, enabling the region to foster and increase integrated and collaborative trading partnerships.”

 

Ahmed El Ahwal, Managing Director, Transmar International Shipping Company said: “As a result of AD Ports Group’s shareholding in Transmar, we are able to offer customers across the Middle East and East Africa greater connectivity to Karachi, which is one of the largest ports in South Asia, as well as the enabling customers in Pakistan to reach a wide range of key markets.” 

 

Pakistan and the UAE enjoy a dynamic economic relationship, with bilateral trade in 2021-22 between the two countries valued at approximately $10 billion. In 2020, the top exports from Pakistan to the UAE were $122 million in gold, and $109 million in beef. Top exports in 2020 from the UAE to Pakistan were $2.21 billion in refined petroleum, and $1.04 billion in crude petroleum.-- TradeArabia News Service