Angola entrusts the port concession of Luanda to AD Ports

By entrusting the management of the port to the Emirati operator, Luanda hopes to boost traffic growth by an average of 3% per year. The platform, the country’s main maritime gateway, handles approximately 76% of import-export container volumes.

Emirati port services and operations group AD Ports has reached agreements to acquire 81% and 90% of the shares in Angolan companies Unicargas and Multiparques respectively, under a 20-year concession from the Port of Luanda obtained with the Angolan Port Authority. The agreement, which can be extended over a period of five years, provides for an investment of $251 million, expandable to $379 million. In this tender, the port authority in the Emirates defeated Chinese and Turkish competitors.

Go from 25,000 TEU to 350,000 TEU

According to the specifications, the Emirati group is to convert the existing multi-functional facility into a container and ro-ro terminal. The upgrade should be completed in the third quarter of 2026, increasing container traffic handled from 25,000 TEU to 350,000 TEU, and ro-ro volume to more than 40,000 vehicles. There is also talk of modernizing the terminal and improving services over the next three years.

The agreement comes about because AD Ports has been involved in an expansion strategy in Africa for several years. Previously, the group had signed a framework agreement with the Angolan Ministry of Transport to develop maritime and logistics services and infrastructure across the country.

According to the Emirati operator, the terminal’s modernization will “attract customers from the world’s leading shipping companies and provide the highest level of efficiency and service quality.”