UAE's AD Ports Group bets $835 million on Brazil's agricultural powerhouse

UAE-based AD Ports Group has acquired Corredor Logística e Infraestrutura (CLI), Brazil's leading independent agri-bulk port terminal operator, for an enterprise value of $835 million (AED 3.1 billion), marking the group's first entry into Latin America.

CLI operates two strategically vital terminals under long-term concessions: CLI Sul, Brazil's largest sugar export terminal at the Port of Santos, and CLI Norte, a key grains gateway at the Port of Itaqui in the Amazon-linked "Arc of the North" corridor. In 2025, the two terminals handled a combined 17 million tonnes of agri-bulk cargo, generating revenues of $178 million and EBITDA of $98 million.

The deal, AD Ports Group's largest acquisition to date, surpassing its $720 million purchase of Spain's Noatum in 2023, was agreed with joint sellers Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital, and is subject to regulatory approval, with completion expected in the second half of the year.

"This transaction is a game changer for AD Ports Group," said Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, highlighting plans to develop a major East-West trade corridor linking South America to the Indian Subcontinent, East Africa and Southeast Asia.

The acquisition reinforces AD Ports Group's agrifood strategy, alongside recent investments in terminals in Kazakhstan, Jordan, Pakistan and Spain. Brazil, the world's largest sugar exporter accounting for 40-50% of global supply, represents a cornerstone of that ambition.