AD Ports and NYU: A Partnership for Smarter Port Operations

Research-focused initiative to leverage stochastic AI models and spatial analytics for integrated vessel arrival prediction, berth allocation, and emissions insights

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 23 April 2026: Powering ahead in its adoption of next-generation digital capabilities, AD Ports Group (ADX: ADPORTS), a leading global enabler of trade, industry and logistics solutions, today announced a strategic partnership and research collaboration agreement with NYU Abu Dhabi.

This multi-year partnership aims to build and pilot a high-fidelity intelligence engine based on stochastic models and spatial intelligence. The engine is designed to serve as a sophisticated decision-support layer for human operators, bringing together vessel arrival time predictions, berth allocation optimisation suggestions, and environmental impact considerations with high precision.

In an industry where global berth waiting times often stretch into multiple days at anchorage, the opportunity to improve planning precision is noteworthy. This high-fidelity intelligence engine aims to further de-risk port call uncertainty and continue port operations fluidity enhancement, resulting in smarter port calls that unlock more capacity without physical expansion.

Furthermore, depending on the vessel type, aligning arrival times with berth allocation can reduce idle time and save fuel burn considerably, minimising environmental harm and facilitating greener port calls.

Mohamed Jamal-Eddine, Group Chief Digital & Information Officer – AD Ports Group, said: “As we continue to reimagine logistics ecosystems to advance the frontiers of global trade, pioneering research and strategic partnerships remain key pillars of our digitally-led approach. By integrating our deep expertise in port operations and trade facilitation with advanced predictive arrival intelligence and resilient operational modelling, we are accelerating the pace towards a future of autonomous decision-support. Through strategic partnerships such as this with NYU Abu Dhabi, we are ensuring that our move to predictive precision is both robust and ethically sound, giving our global partners the certainty they need to navigate an increasingly complex trade landscape.”

This jointly-developed initiative aims to turn variability into reliability and significantly advance terminal-focused decarbonisation transparency, serving as an integrated operational and environmental digital decision layer. As part of a long-term commitment to technological evolution, plans are in place to pilot the initiative at select terminals and trade lanes, with the objective of scaling successful outcomes across the Group’s global network.

Arlie Peters, Provost – NYU Abu Dhabi, said: “At NYU Abu Dhabi, we focus on research that addresses real-world challenges. Our collaboration with AD Ports Group brings together academic expertise and practical insight to strengthen the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of modern logistics. This partnership reflects Abu Dhabi’s broader ambitions and the UAE’s leadership in trade and infrastructure. By connecting research with application, we aim to support the UAE’s continued role as a global hub for logistics. Led by Professor Ali Diabat from Civil and Urban Engineering, this work develops data-driven approaches to support better decision-making and improve long-term performance across port and logistics operations.”

This partnership represents a powerful synergy of specialised expertise and operational reach. NYU Abu Dhabi brings world-class analytical capabilities and advanced research, providing the scientific rigor needed for high-fidelity modelling. In line with internal data governance controls, AD Ports Group will support the initiative by providing secure access to relevant operational information and by facilitating controlled, real-world pilot deployments across selected terminals and trade lanes, helping translate the high-fidelity engine into an executable, field-tested solution.

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For media information, please contact:

AD Ports Group Media Office 

media@adports.ae

About AD Ports Group:

Established in 2006, AD Ports Group today serves as one of the world’s premier facilitators of logistics, industry, and trade, as well as a bridge linking Abu Dhabi to the world. Listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX: ADPORTS), AD Ports Group’s vertically integrated business approach has proven instrumental in driving the Emirate’s economic development over the past decade.

Operating five business clusters covering Ports, Economic Cities & Free Zones, Maritime & Shipping, Logistics, and Digital, AD Ports Group’s portfolio comprises 36 terminals, with a presence in over 50 countries, and more than 570 square kilometres of economic zones within KEZAD Group, the largest integrated trade, logistics, and industrial business grouping in the Middle East.

AD Ports Group is rated “AA-” Outlook stable by Fitch, and “A1” outlook stable by Moody’s.

For more information, please visit: adportsgroup.com   

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About NYU Abu Dhabi


NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 31 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest globally ranked university in the UAE. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU’s campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.

For more information, please visit: www.nyuad.nyu.edu