AD Ports Group inaugurates Tbilisi Intermodal Hub in Georgia
4 June 2025 00:46
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)AD Ports Group (ADX: ADPORTS), has announced the inauguration of the Tbilisi Intermodal Hub, Georgia's first modern, bonded container and intermodal terminal, and a key logistics link in the Group's emerging Central Asian transport strategy.The state-of-the-art, rail-linked logistics centre connects the Caspian and Black Seas through Georgia, forming a vital part of the Middle Corridor, the shortest trade route between Asia and Europe.The inauguration was attended by Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili, First Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, Ahmed Ebrahim AlNuaimi, UAE Ambassador to Georgia, Giorgi Janjgava, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, the Georgian Ambassador to UAE, as well as Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group, Abdulaziz Zayed Al Shamsi, Regional CEO - AD Ports Group, and Mr Jemal Inaishvili, Founder of Inveco LLC.Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: 'Under the visionary leadership of the UAE Government, we are committed to enhancing international cooperation with strategic global partners who share our vision for mutual benefit and sustainable prosperity. The inauguration of AD Ports Group's Tbilisi Intermodal Hub exemplifies this commitment by actively developing global trade routes and creating market opportunities for both UAE and Georgian businesses."AD Ports Group owns a 60 per cent stake in Tbilisi Intermodal Hub, and the rest is held by Inveco LLC, a local Georgian investment advisory firm, and Wilhelmsen Group.The first phase of Tbilisi Intermodal Hub is Tbilisi Dry Port, an Inland Container Depot (ICD) handling container cargo delivered by rail and truck. The Group and its partners plan to expand the facility significantly by early 2026 to add long-term warehousing, additional container yards and truck parking, and a fourth railway spur, to transform it into a full-service import-and-export logistics hub for all of Central Asia, a fast-growing region that AD Ports Group is targeting as a strategic growth corridor.Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, of AD Ports Group, said: 'The inauguration of Tbilisi Intermodal Hub is a significant step in our long-term plan to develop the Middle Corridor into a viable East-West trade corridor through Central Asia, where the volume of goods is expected to triple by 2030, according to The World Bank. Under the wise guidance of our leadership in the UAE, AD Ports Group is dedicated to pioneering the strategic, low-impact trade corridors of a sustainable future. With our investments in Tbilisi and elsewhere along the Middle Corridor, we are strengthening global supply chains through investments that foster economic growth and job creation, by creating efficient trade pathways that cater to the emerging economies of Central Asia.' As it expands, Tbilisi Intermodal Hub will process many types of cargo, including containerised vehicles, and forms of containerised bulk and break-bulk commodities such as minerals, ores, and fertilisers playing an important role in the supply chains of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, as well as an East-West crossroads for goods between China and Europe.Tbilisi Intermodal Hub's soft launch commenced on 3 May when it received its first shipment of 30 containers, each carrying over 26 tonnes of cargo, via rail link from an MSC ship docked at Georgia's Black Sea Port of Batumi.An inland extension of Batumi and the Port of Poti, Georgia's key seaports, Tbilisi Intermodal Hub will play a vital role as a logistics staging hub accelerating trade flows across the Caucasus region and Central Asia. The facility has received both customs zone authorisation and Georgia's first railway infrastructure operation and safety certification, from the state Rail Transport Agency.Jemal Inaishvili, Founder of Inveco LLC, Georgia, said: 'The inauguration of Tbilisi Intermodal Hub is a major step for the development of the logistics sector in Georgia and Central Asia. Leveraging its extensive expertise in port operations and logistics, AD Ports Group is introducing advanced management practices to Georgia's logistics sector. This collaboration not only enhances the operational efficiency of the Tbilisi Intermodal Hub but bolsters economic ties between the UAE and Georgia.'The inauguration of the Georgian intermodal logistics hub is a milestone in the Group's strategy of developing the Middle Corridor into a viable, modern high-volume trade corridor linking China and Europe by overland route through Central Asia with the Group's ports and maritime assets in Türkiye and Pakistan.Spanning 7,000km and requiring a journey of 10 to 15 days, the Middle Corridor is expected to handle up to 1.9 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of container cargo annually by 2040, as manufacturers seek to avoid longer seaborne routes.Beyond serving the Georgian Black Sea ports of Poti and Batumi as a depot for international shipping lines, the intermodal facility will function as a regional logistics hub for goods destined for neighbouring countries such as Armenia and Azerbaijan.Tbilisi Intermodal Hub is designed for scale and efficiency, featuring three, 600-metre-long railway spurs, two dedicated locomotives for shunting connected to the main rail sorting station, a 50,000m² container yard equipped with brand-new three-unit reach stackers, and Class B warehouse, covering 2,500m², and a fleet of forklifts and customs-licensed weighing scales. In a second phase to be completed by early 2026, a fourth rail spur will be added, as well as a Class A warehouse covering 9,800m2, and additional container yards. Tbilisi Intermodal Hub will initially handle up to 96,000 TEUs annually. The facility enables flexible cargo flows from Central Asia and the Far East via multiple transport modes such as railcars, shipper-owned containers, and trucks, with seamless cross-docking to ocean carriers for global distribution, and vice versa.By early 2026, the second phase of construction will more than double the annual handling capacity of the Tbilisi Intermodal Hub to up to 200,000 TEUs.Besides its connection to Georgia's national rail network, Tbilisi Intermodal Hub has direct access to the country's international highways, bypassing city congestion, and close proximity to major border crossings, being only 70 km from both Armenia and Azerbaijan and just 7km from Tbilisi International Airport.
The inauguration of the Tbilisi Intermodal Hub marks a significant milestone in AD Ports Group's mission to enhance global trade routes and logistics capabilities. This state-of-the-art facility not only strengthens the economic ties between the UAE and Georgia but also positions both nations as pivotal players in the Middle Corridor.
Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
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