AD Ports Group, a global enabler of trade, industry, and logistics solutions, announced the commencement of cruise services at its three terminals in Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, and Safaga in Egypt, in addition to facilitating ferry services connecting Safaga and NEOM ports to support transport of Hajj workers between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
In 2024, AD Ports Group signed a 15-year concession agreement with Egypt’s Red Sea Ports Authority to manage, develop, and operate the three cruise terminals and associated ferry operations on Egypt’s Red Sea coast.
Sharm El Sheikh Cruise Port welcomed the arrival of “Aroya," the largest mega cruise ship ever to dock directly in the coastal city, marking the beginning of a new era for cruise tourism in the Red Sea.
Aroya’s arrival at Sharm El Sheikh was enabled by the Egyptian Ministry of Transport and the Red Sea Ports Authority’s upgrades to the port’s docking capabilities, delivered in close collaboration with AD Ports Group.
The arrival of “Aroya” in Sharm El Sheikh marks the first of several scheduled calls by the mega cruise vessel in 2026, reinforcing Sharm El Sheikh’s position, alongside Hurghada and Safaga, as regular destinations on regional and international cruise itineraries. Aside from its main cruise terminal operations in the UAE, the Group also manages and operates the Aqaba Cruise Terminal in Jordan through a partnership with the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC).
Egypt and the Red Sea are a focus of AD Ports Group’s expanding global network of integrated trade, transport, and logistics facilities. Beyond its container feeder shipping and stevedoring services, the Group in Egypt this year will inaugurate Noatum Ports Safaga Terminal, a USD$200 million multipurpose cargo terminal and major trade gateway for southern (Upper) Egypt. The Group is also developing the 20 km2 KEZAD East Port Said Industrial and Logistics Park with Egyptian partners at the Mediterranean mouth of the Suez Canal.
In November 2025, AD Ports Group invested USD$279 million (13.2 billion Egyptian pounds) to acquire a 19.3% stake in one of Egypt’s largest container terminal operators, Alexandria Container & Cargo Handling Company (ALCN), and subsequently moved to acquire a majority stake in the company.