ASTANA, 9th July 2025 (WAM) -- AD Ports Group announced today the commencement of operations of its Central Asian logistics joint venture, GulfLink Ltd., with KTZ Express, the freight arm of Kazakhstan Railways.

GulfLink, 51% percent owned by AD Ports Group, and 49% by KTZ Express JSC, a multimodal transport and logistics subsidiary of Kazakhstan Railways (Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, or KTZ), aims to transform Central Asia's logistics landscape, where AD Ports Group has been building a presence in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia.

Abdulaziz Zayed AlShamsi, Regional CEO - AD Ports Group, said, "We are pleased to announce the commencement of operations for our GulfLink joint venture with KTZ Express in Kazakhstan, one of Central Asia's fastest growing economies, and a key link in our strategy to upgrade the Middle Corridor route through Central Asia into a major, commercial East-West trade artery linking consumers and manufacturers in Asia and Europe. Under the wise guidance of our leadership in the UAE, AD Ports Group welcomes the chance to deepen its extensive engagement in Kazakhstan, and the region, to drive economic growth through global connectivity, benefiting the people of Kazakhstan and Central Asia."

Through GulfLink, AD Ports Group and KTZ Express are offering new cargo connectivity through Central Asia, and globally, through Pakistan, Trkiye, the Arabian Gulf and the Indian subcontinent. GulfLink will focus on developing international transport corridors, and strengthening Kazakhstan's integration in the global logistics system, by creating more resilient and efficient supply chains.

Damir Kozhakhmetov, General Director and Chairman of the Management Board of KTZ Express, said, "We welcome this opportunity to shape the future of global logistics in Kazakhstan and Central Asia with GulfLink, our bold, value-enhancing joint venture partnership with AD Ports Group that will provide a new level of unique, end-to-end connectivity for Kazakhstan regionally and globally, leveraging the global resources of AD Ports Group and the regional presence of Kazakhstan Railways to enhance transport infrastructure and expand trade flows."

With 16,000 km of rail lines, KTZ is one of the largest railroads and one of the most strategically important state-owned enterprises in Central Asia.

In Kazakhstan, a country where approximately 70% of freight moves by rail, state-owned KTZ provides key logistics access along all major corridors through Central Asia with Europe, China, Trkiye, and the broader Caucasus region.

Kamal Huseynov, Chief Executive Officer of GulfLink, said, "GulfLink will play a major role in providing critical connectivity between Kazakhstan, the Central Asia region, and the world, through enhanced connectivity, and the combined infrastructure resources of AD Ports Group and KTZ Express, leveraging Kazakhstan's central position. We will bring value added to customers through our relationships, the logistics resources of our shareholders, and our commitment to efficiency, innovation, seamless supply chains and optimised trade."

As the primary transit hub for Central Asia, GulfLink is ideally positioned to leverage Kazakhstan's geographic advantage as a logistics centre for multimodal connectivity, providing unparalleled 360-degree connectivity by rail, road, air, and sea to all destinations in Europe, Asia, and points beyond.

Transportation service via GulfLink, which has a broad strategic objective to provide connectivity across the region, will be carried out along a variety of routes in all directions, following well-established as well as new, emerging trade corridors.

Additionally, GulfLink will play a key role in supporting the Group's Central Asian strategy to revive and develop the Middle Corridor, the shortest East-West link between manufacturers in China and Europe, into a major commercial supply artery, supporting the region's growth by improving connectivity with the global grid.

AD Ports Group is a major investor in developing the Middle Corridor into a viable emerging East-West trade route, with announced investment commitments in Kazakhstan alone of US$775 million. Over the last three years, the Group has added ship operations with local Kazakh partner "KazMorTransFlot" in the Black and Caspian seas, and has plans to launch a logistics and food trading hub business in Uzbekistan.

The Group is also jointly investing with local partners in Kazakhstan to build a grain terminal, and has preliminary plans to develop a multipurpose terminal, at Kuryk Port. The Group's emerging Central Asian route network links to the Group's ports and maritime assets in Trkiye and Pakistan.