ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES / MENA Newswire / — AD Ports Group has agreed to acquire Corredor Logística e Infraestrutura S.A., known as CLI, Brazil’s leading independent agri bulk port terminal operator, in a transaction with an enterprise value of AED 3.1 billion, equivalent to USD 835 million. The deal, announced on June 2, is the largest acquisition conducted by the Abu Dhabi based ports, logistics and trade group.
CLI operates two major Brazilian agricultural bulk export terminals through long term concessions at the Port of Santos and the Port of Itaqui. The company is based in São Paulo and handles cargo linked to Brazil’s sugar, corn and soybean export flows. AD Ports Group said the acquisition brings its port operations into South America through established assets in one of the world’s largest agricultural exporting markets.
AD Ports Group agreed to acquire CLI from joint owners Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital. CLI owns 100 percent of CLI Norte, which operates a terminal at the Port of Itaqui, and 80 percent of CLI Sul, which operates a terminal at the Port of Santos. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and antitrust approvals, and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.
Brazil terminals anchor the transaction
CLI Sul is described as Brazil’s leading sugar export terminal and also handles corn and soybeans through the Port of Santos. CLI Norte operates at the Port of Itaqui and serves as a grains gateway within Brazil’s Arc of the North, a logistics corridor connected to agricultural production areas and export routes. Together, the two assets place CLI within key segments of Brazil’s agricultural bulk terminal market.
In 2025, CLI handled a combined 17 million tonnes of agri bulk cargo. The company generated revenue of AED 654 million, equivalent to USD 178 million, and EBITDA of AED 360 million, equivalent to USD 98 million, for the year. AD Ports Group said CLI’s existing senior management team will remain in place to continue running the company after completion of the transaction.
Largest acquisition for AD Ports Group
The CLI agreement exceeds AD Ports Group’s previous major acquisitions, including its AED 2.65 billion purchase of Spain’s Noatum in 2023 and its AED 1.9 billion purchase of a 51 percent stake in Dubai based Global Feeder Shipping in early 2024. The company said the latest deal adds Brazilian agricultural export terminal operations to its existing ports, logistics, maritime, shipping, economic cities and digital services portfolio.
BTG Pactual advised AD Ports Group on the transaction, while Citi advised Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital. AD Ports Group said the acquisition also relates to its agrifood business vertical and its stated plans involving links between Brazil, Khalifa Port and Abu Dhabi Food Hub in KEZAD. The company is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange under the ticker ADPORTS.