According to a statement from the Ministry of Transport, the AD Ports Group signed a service agreement this Monday in Luanda to develop a Digital Logistics Single Window for Angola's trade regulator, the Cargo and Logistics Certification Regulatory Agency (ARCCLA).
The group also signed five preliminary agreements with Angolan public partners to explore expanded cooperation in maritime services, training, logistics, air cargo services, and healthcare.
"The intensification of the Group's activity in Angola, where it has committed to investing US$250 million by 2026 to refurbish and expand the Noatum Ports Terminal – Luanda, the multipurpose terminal of the country's largest port, comes months after its start of operations in January," the statement from the Angolan Ministry of Transport said.
The Minister of Transport, Ricardo de Abreu, quoted in the statement, welcomed the strengthening of the productive relationship with the AD Ports Group, "a leading investor in Angola and a strategic partner in the country's transformation."
"By modernizing and developing our maritime and commercial infrastructure, AD Ports Group and the Ministry of Transport are strengthening trade in the region and consolidating Angola's position as a true engine of economic and social development," the minister stated.
In turn, AD Ports Group Executive Director and CEO, Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, considered the signed agreements a commitment to transforming Angola into one of West Africa's leading commercial hubs.
"With the acquisition of the truck fleet for Noatum Unicargas Logistics and the development of the Digital Single Window for Angola, as well as with these strategic memoranda of understanding, we are implementing transformative projects that will generate lasting economic growth and prosperity for the Angolan people, within the framework of a mutually beneficial partnership, under the wise leadership of the United Arab Emirates," he stated.
The Single Window Logistics agreement and the acquisition of the truck fleet strengthen the group's presence in Angola (centered on the Port of Luanda, which handles approximately 76 percent of the country's container and general cargo volume), in addition to ensuring maritime access to neighboring landlocked countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia.
According to the statement, the Noatum Ports Luanda Terminal is the main hub for Noatum Unicargas Logistics, the joint venture in which the group holds a 90 percent stake and its local partner, Unicargas, holds a 10 percent stake.
Furthermore, four memoranda of understanding and a framework agreement were approved for the expansion of the group's activities in Angola, specifically in maritime transport, cabotage, training, logistics, and air cargo.
The note highlights that the framework agreement with the Angolan Ministry of Transport provides for cooperation in the institutionalization of a national maritime academy, ferry and cabotage services, the operation of maritime terminals, logistics platforms, as well as the Caio Deepwater Terminal projects in Cabinda province and the Dande Free Trade Zone Multipurpose Terminal.
Regarding healthcare, the DockTour joint venture between the group and the United Arab Emirates medical services company Burjeel Holding will explore opportunities with the Angolan Ministry of Health to ensure supply chain logistics services for the transportation of medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and other healthcare supplies.
The President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Nahyan, is on a state visit to Angola.
