AD Ports Group has awarded three contracts worth about $200 million for the Noatum Ports Pointe-Noire Container Terminal, moving its Central African port expansion from planning into execution.The Abu Dhabi-listed ports and logistics operator said the contracts cover marine works, landside infrastructure and container-handling equipment for the terminal in the Republic of the Congo. The awards form part of a 30-year concession with the government, with an option for a further 20 years, and are tied to a joint venture with CMA CGM Group through its CMA Terminals subsidiary.
Two construction contracts, valued at around $150 million, have been awarded to MAR Contracting SARLU and MBTP SA JV for marine and topside works. A separate $50 million equipment contract has gone to Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., one of the world’s largest port crane manufacturers, for three ship-to-shore cranes and nine rubber-tyred gantry cranes.
The project is intended to expand capacity at Pointe-Noire, the Republic of the Congo’s main Atlantic gateway and a strategic node for Central and West African trade. The terminal is expected to include a 420-metre quay wall with a 16-metre depth and a 100,000-square-metre logistics area, enabling it to handle larger vessels and higher volumes of containerised cargo.
Construction is expected to take about two years. The development is designed to support container handling, general cargo flows and related logistics activity, while strengthening Pointe-Noire’s role as a regional maritime hub serving land-linked markets and coastal trade routes.
AD Ports’ move comes at a time when Gulf-based logistics groups are accelerating investments in African ports, industrial zones and trade corridors. The strategy reflects rising competition among global port operators to secure long-term positions in markets where container volumes remain below mature-market levels but are expected to expand with urbanisation, resource exports and consumer demand.
For the Republic of the Congo, the terminal forms part of a broader effort to reduce economic dependence on hydrocarbons and improve trade infrastructure. Pointe-Noire already plays a central role in the country’s oil and gas economy, but the government has been seeking to use port modernisation to attract more non-oil activity, including logistics, warehousing, manufacturing support services and regional distribution.
The employment impact is expected to be significant. The initial phase could generate up to 9,000 direct and indirect jobs, including around 800 roles during construction, 400 positions linked to terminal operations and several thousand additional opportunities in businesses connected to the port ecosystem.
The partnership with CMA CGM adds commercial weight to the project. The French shipping and logistics group has an established presence in African container markets and is already a major player in Congolese import, export and transshipment flows. Its participation could help the terminal attract shipping line commitments and improve cargo routing through Pointe-Noire once operations begin.
AD Ports and CMA CGM have also worked together at Khalifa Port, where CMA Terminals operates a major container facility. The Pointe-Noire project extends that relationship into a market where infrastructure upgrades are closely linked to shipping line strategy and regional cargo consolidation.
The contract awards also deepen AD Ports Group’s expansion beyond its home market. The company has built a wider international portfolio across ports, logistics, maritime services, industrial zones and digital trade platforms, with Africa becoming a major area of focus. Its activities now span markets including Egypt, Tanzania, Angola, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo, alongside logistics acquisitions and partnerships in Europe and Asia.
Pointe-Noire’s appeal lies partly in its deep-water characteristics and its location on the Atlantic seaboard. A modernised terminal could improve vessel turnaround times, reduce cargo bottlenecks and give shippers another option in a region where port congestion and inland transport constraints have often raised trade costs.
Risks remain. Large port projects in Africa can face delays linked to permitting, customs reform, inland connectivity, financing conditions and changes in cargo demand. The full economic benefit of the Pointe-Noire investment will depend not only on terminal construction but also on supporting road, rail, customs and logistics systems that allow cargo to move efficiently beyond the port.
The award to ZPMC underlines the project’s emphasis on modern container-handling capacity. Ship-to-shore cranes and rubber-tyred gantry cranes are central to improving berth productivity and yard efficiency, particularly as carriers deploy larger vessels on regional services and seek faster port calls.
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