Move will boost revenue and create cost synergies across AD Ports Group’s industrial, economic, and free zones assets
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 19 September 2022: AD Ports Group, the leading facilitator of trade, logistics, and industry, has unveiled ‘KEZAD Group’ as part of the plan to consolidate and grow its Economic Cities & Free Zones offering, marking a new phase of evolution towards strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as the region’s leading industrial and manufacturing destination.
The move follows the integration of Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) and Specialised Economic Zones (ZonesCorp) into the newly formed KEZAD Group (Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Group), which comprises 12 economic zones with a total area of 550 square kilometres, including 100 square kilometres designated as Free Zones. In addition, it has more than 300,000 square metres of prebuilt warehouse facilities and is home to more than 40 staff accommodation complexes with a capacity of over 450,000 beds (located in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra Region), including the 77,000 beds operated by KEZAD Group.
Today, KEZAD Group hosts more than 1,750 clients from 17 industrial and economic sectors catering to a range of key industries such as Pharmaceuticals, Metals, Automotive, Polymers, Building Materials Recycling, Food & Agtech, Plastics & Polymers, Retail & Logistics, Hi-Tech & Green Energy, Life Sciences, Oil & Gas, and Specialty Chemicals, each offering direct access to all industry and economic verticals from processing and storage to distribution.
Established to align with the UAE’s Industrial Strategy, the economic vision of Abu Dhabi and the recently launched Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy, KEZAD Group is designed to offer greater opportunities for investors looking to streamline every segment of their supply chain. Combining the portfolio’s assets, it will drive higher investments and develop a stronger portfolio of products and services for businesses and investors at the local, regional, and international levels.
It will leverage the collective strength of a combined organisation to enable expanded competitive choice of locations, greater pricing options, quality of infrastructure, ease of doing business and integrated services through unified processes, superior service delivery, and focused offerings for customers.
KEZAD Group will be solely responsible for managing the process of planning, developing, operating, regulating, and promoting combined assets (KIZAD, ZonesCorp and KIZAD Communities) under the AD Ports Group’s Economic Cities & Free Zones portfolio, that makes up 55 percent of the UAE’s industrial area.
The launch of KEZAD Group opens new opportunities to scale up adjacent businesses, such as KEZAD Communities which provides integrated solutions for staff residential communities, as well enabling the Group to unlock the value of its significant land bank.
In addition, KEZAD Group will look to invest in dedicated infrastructure for key industrial sectors to enhance the ecosystem and creating multiple new revenue streams, such as enhanced gas networks for metal and other heavy industries, and wholesale marketplaces for food and automotives.
The forward-looking strategy looks to drive the enhancement and development of the industrial and overall business ecosystem in Abu Dhabi in line with AD Ports Group’s integrated model for one-stop economic hubs that provide seamless operations and efficient cross-market trade solutions for businesses via the emirate.
Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director & Group CEO, AD Ports Group said: “Under the guidance of our wise leadership, AD Ports Group is committed to strengthening the foundations of the UAE’s manufacturing and industrial sectors, recognising the significant economic and national benefits that such development will bring. The launch of KEZAD Group, which brings together our Economic Cities & Free Zones assets, supports the expansion of dedicated ecosystems for strategic industries, boosting access to international markets, integrating advanced technologies, and accelerating the transition to a circular economy.
“From a business perspective, Economic Cities & Free Zones provides AD Ports Group with revenue generated by long-term contracts, and stimulates further growth across our other operations, as clients deploy our logistics, ports and digital services.”
Abdullah Al Hameli, CEO of Economic Cities & Free Zones, AD Ports Group said: “We are proud to launch KEZAD Group under our Economic Cities & Free Zones portfolio, bringing together the entire scope of services and ecosystems that businesses require to thrive in today’s competitive market.
“KEZAD Group will leverage synergies across its combined assets and utilise our collaborative expertise to fully support the priority industrial sectors identified by our wise leadership in the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy. We see major opportunities for growth as we scale up adjacent businesses to better support our clients.”
Mohamed Al Khadar Al Ahmad, CEO, KEZAD GROUP said: “KEZAD Group is now responsible for the largest integrated trade, logistics and industrial hub in the region and is the largest operator of purpose-built economic zones and workers residential cities in the United Arab Emirates. We will deploy this enhanced scale to fully support strategic industries and enable sustainable diversification and growth.
By providing a suite of favourable business solutions and economic zone benefits, KEZAD Group will provide an unmatched platform across strategic locations that drives growth across the region and beyond.”
About AD Ports Group:
Established in 2006, AD Ports Group today serves as the region’s premier facilitator of logistics, industry, and trade, as well as a bridge linking Abu Dhabi to the world. Listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX: ADPORTS), AD Ports Group’s vertically integrated business approach has proven instrumental in driving the emirate’s economic development over the past decade.
Operating several clusters covering Ports, Economic Cities & Free Zones, Maritime, Logistics, and Digital, AD Ports Group’s portfolio comprises 10 ports and terminals, and more than 550 square kilometres of economic zones under KEZAD Group, the largest integrated trade, logistics, and industrial business grouping in the Middle East.
AD Ports Group is rated A+ by S&P and A+ Outlook Stable by Fitch.
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About KEZAD Group
KEZAD Group, a subsidiary of AD Ports Group under its Economic Cities & Free Zones Cluster, is the largest operator of integrated and purpose-built economic zones in the United Arab Emirates. Providing competitive business ecosystems that encourage unprecedented growth, KEZAD Group is a key strategic enabler of Abu Dhabi’s vision for the diversification of its economy.
KEZAD Group’s vital infrastructure and services span 12 economic zones (located in Abu Dhabi City, Al Ain City and Al Dhafra Region) covering a total area of 550km2 and including more than 40 staff accommodation complexes under its subsidiary KEZAD Communities.
KEZAD Group provides strategic market access, lower operating costs, and ease of doing business to more than 1,750 clients from 17 key industrial sectors. KEZAD Group’s ecosystem provides world-class transportation infrastructure with multimodal connectivity, 100% foreign ownership, 100% repatriation of capital and profit, the potential for duty-free trade within the region, and advanced technology platforms.