Khalifa Port Climbs to 34th in Lloyd's List Ranking After 21.6% Growth

Khalifa Port, in Abu Dhabi, climbed five places to rank 34th in the Lloyd's List Top 100 Container Ports 2026 ranking. The advance came after the port handled 6.6 million TEUs in 2025, representing a 21.6% increase over the 5.42 million TEUs recorded in 2024.

The ranking, compiled based on 2025 results, reflects the combined performance of the port's three container terminals, operated jointly with shipping lines CMA CGM, COSCO and MSC. Khalifa Port recorded the largest percentage increase among the world's top 40 container ports in this edition, after having ranked 39th in the previous one.

AD Ports Group, the port's operator, attributed the increase to higher terminal utilization, market demand and the addition of new capacity. In this regard, CMA Terminals Khalifa Port, which opened in January 2025, was a key contributor, handling more than 1.3 million TEUs during its first full year of operation.

Since first entering the global ranking at 95th place in 2019, Khalifa Port has climbed 61 positions. According to the sources, this sustained progress reflects AD Ports Group's continuous investment in infrastructure, capacity, technology and connections with international shipping lines.

The ongoing expansion of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port will increase the terminal's annual handling capacity by nearly 50%, to 2.7 million TEUs. Once completed, this project will raise Khalifa Port's total annual container handling capacity to 10.5 million TEUs.

Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO of AD Ports Group's Ports Cluster, stated that the rise to 34th place in the Lloyd's List ranking reflects the strength of the company's long-term vision and its commitment to operational excellence, and affirmed that the 21.6% growth in container throughput together with the five-place advance demonstrates the progress achieved through sustained investment in infrastructure, capacity, technology and connectivity.