Purchase Agreement strengthens the Group’s role in the Middle Trade Corridor
AD Ports Group recently announced the signing of a purchase agreement with Inveco to acquire 60% ownership in the Tbilisi Dry Port, a new custom-bonded and rail-connected intermodal logistics hub in Georgia.
The project, currently owned by Inveco and Wilhelmsen, is expected to be operational by Q4-2024. It is a key logistics hub situated along the strategically important Middle Corridor, an emerging trade lane linking manufacturing hubs in Western Asia to consumer markets in Eastern Europe by leveraging a combination of sea and dry ports located in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Türkiye.
As a key logistics facility in Georgia connecting the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, which are at the heart of the Middle Corridor, the project consists of different integrated facilities such as a container freight station, warehouses and a car storage park. It will act as the point of entry and exit as well as a regional transit point for manufacturers, shippers and consignees moving containers, vehicles and other goods for distribution and storage.
Railway links
The project offers direct westward railway links to Türkiye and to Georgian Ports of Poti and Batumi, which further connect to European Black Sea ports in Bulgaria and Romania, while its eastern connectivity links with different ports located along the Caspian Sea via a railway corridor to Azerbaijan.
The development offers significant intermodal logistics capabilities given its location within the Tbilisi airport’s industrial zone which will be backed by state-of-the-art warehousing facilities as well as a cargo and vehicle logistics hub.
Noatum Logistics, part of the AD Ports Group, will operate and manage the facilities while leveraging capabilities offered by the Group’s cross-Cluster portfolio and drawing on expertise and capacities of Inveco and Wilhelmsen.
Investment ties
“AD Ports Group’s investment in the Tbilisi Dry Port delivers on this objective, which is set to deepen trade and investment ties, develop global trade lanes, and generate market access opportunities for UAE and Georgian businesses alike,” commented HE Ahmed Bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the UAE.
“As a country situated at the centre of the Caucasus and located along the Black Sea, Georgia is a key destination linking us with our growing maritime and logistics assets in Central Asia and Türkiye, thereby enabling us to serve our customers with cost-effective, streamlined cargo flows and capture significant future trade volumes,” remarked Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group.
Logistics facilities
“AD Ports Group’s vast expertise in ports operations and logistics facilities will bring a new level of management in the Georgia’s logistics sector,” commented Jemal Inaishvili, Founder, Inveco, Georgia.
“Georgia has been an important market to us for a long time already. The development of the Tiblisi Dry Port has been a cornerstone project to support the development of the trade corridor between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea,” noted Neal de Roche, President, Wilhelmsen Port Services.
