LEADING the way
ADT is currently on its way to becoming one of the leading container terminal operators in the world.
How has ADT maintained momentum during these unprecedented times?
Thankfully, ADT can look back on the last 12 months with a great degree of satisfaction despite the ongoing challenges. Central to our continued success has been the optimization of our container terminal operations at Khalifa Port. The outbreak of last year’s pandemic ensured the smooth flow of trade in and out of Abu Dhabi 24/7 as efficiently as possible and without hindrance. As the region’s first semi-automated port and one of the most advanced facilities in the Middle East, Khalifa Port has shown that it can easily maintain low turnaround times. And thanks to the introduction last June of JADE, our new mainliner service forms part of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and 2M alliance networks. Khalifa Port is now better connected than ever, linking directly to new customers and trade routes from the Mediterranean and Red Seas into Abu Dhabi, and onto Southeast and Northeast Asia.
How has ADT ensured the health and safety of employees during the viral outbreak?
The safety of our ports and those who work within them is a paramount priority. With the advent of the pandemic earlier in 2020 ADT redoubled its efforts to protect the health of thousands of port personnel, ship crews, and offshore workers across our operations at Khalifa Port to ensure all staff could safely run critical maritime operations, day and night. We undertook a series of stringent measures to enable mass disinfection and sterilization across all our facilities in line with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health’s directives for combating the spread of COVID-19.
How is ADT expanding on its standing as the region’s first semi-automated operator of a container terminal, and how are you further integrating innovative technologies?
Khalifa Port is not just the gateway to the Arabian Gulf, but it also serves as the most convenient departure point to markets worldwide. From the start of our operations more than eight years ago, ADT has enjoyed tremendous growth; year on year, we have succeeded in surpassing performance benchmarks. At Khalifa Port, we enjoy superior multimodal connectivity to sea, air, and road channels that lie in proximity. In the future, we will directly link to Etihad Rail’s network, providing direct rail connections across the UAE and the region. For our customers, partners, and shareholders, optimization is critical. Our commitment to delivering record performance, investing in technology, and expanding our infrastructure enhances our capabilities to provide the most efficient operations in the region.
With technology taking an enhanced role in operations, how is this influencing the skills and demands for human talent at ADT, and how is ADT working to reskill its workforce for the future of trade?
We are leading the maritime industry’s digitalization drive within the Middle East by automating and optimizing processes and workflows. Much has been achieved, but we can do more to support the development of talent within our industry, particularly that of UAE nationals. By collaborating with our partners at the Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy, we are finding novel ways to enhance our existing employees’ skills and professional development while also seeking out the maritime leaders of tomorrow. They will ultimately take UAE trade to even greater heights.
What are your strategic priorities for ADT?
Abu Dhabi Terminal’s prime focus is to offer the best possible operational performance and logistics solutions to our customers. Thanks to our investment in new routes, maritime hardware, and port expansion over the last year, we are on target to achieve this and double our capacity to more than 5 million TEUs. We are also determined to continue researching and developing smarter ways to streamline processes that build stronger connections with our partners via technology. The events of 2020 revealed that deploying leading-edge technologies not only solves problems for us but offers tremendous benefits to the broader ports and free zones industry as well.
“Abu Dhabi Terminal’s prime focus is to offer the best possible operational performance and logistics solutions to our customers.”