Transmar and AD Ports Group introduced a new service to Pakistan

The busiest port in Pakistan, Karachi, will now be connected to the main maritime economies of the Middle East and East Africa by a new container shipping service that has been inaugurated by AD Ports Group and Transmar International Shipping Company. The new route will assist in achieving the strategic goals of AD Ports Group to improve regional and international 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.
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 have a thriving economic connection, with bilateral commerce between the two nations estimated to be $10 billion in 2021–2022. Gold worth $122 million and beef worth $109 million were Pakistan’s top two exports to the UAE in 2020. $2.21 billion in refined petroleum and $1.04 billion in crude petroleum were the UAE’s top exports to Pakistan in 2020.