AD Ports Signs Agreement with Kazakh Developer for Multipurpose Terminal Project at Kuryk Port

Kazakhstan’s investment company SEMURG INVEST and AD Ports Group have signed a term sheet agreement for the construction and operation of the future Sarzha multipurpose terminal at the Port of Kuryk on the Caspian Sea. The agreement provides for the establishment of a joint venture that will be responsible for the design, management, financing, and operation of the terminal. The facility will handle general cargo, containers, and bulk cargo, with a projected capacity of 10 million tonnes per year by 2030. The new agreement was signed during the official visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Kazakhstan and is part of a broader package of over 20 contracts worth a combined total of USD 5 billion. Earlier this year, the two sides had already established a joint venture to build a grain terminal at the Port of Kuryk with a planned capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per year. Last month, a joint shipping company was also registered with Arab partner Freeseas Container Shipping. The company has already received its first vessel — the 2016-built dry cargo ship DENIZ, which has been renamed NASIPKALI MARABAYEV. By 2027, the operator’s fleet is expected to grow to six vessels. AD Ports is a logistics holding controlled by Abu Dhabi, encompassing port and terminal operations, industrial and logistics free zones, as well as maritime and logistics businesses. The group’s revenue for the first quarter amounted to AED 4.5 billion (USD 1.25 billion), with half a billion dirhams generated from port and terminal operations.