AD Ports Group completes acquisition of Brazil's CLI, enhancing its agrifoods business and establishing new trade routes.
AD Ports Group has completed the financial closing of its acquisition of Corredor Logistica e Infraestrutura (CLI), Brazil's leading independent agri-bulk port terminal operator. The Group acquired CLI from funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital. This deal marks AD Ports Group's first strategic entry into South America and strengthens its growing agrifoods business vertical.
Through its international ports operating arm, Noatum Ports, AD Ports Group has now assumed operational control of CLI. This follows the completion of the financial closing and the receipt of all required regulatory and antitrust approvals.
The transaction was first announced on June 2, 2026, and was completed after customary closing conditions were met. These conditions included approvals from Brazil's National Waterway Transportation Agency (ANTAQ) and the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), Brazil's antitrust authority.
The acquisition was conducted at an enterprise value of AED 3.1 billion (USD 835 million), making it the largest acquisition in AD Ports Group's history. With closing now finalized, CLI has become an operational member of the Group's international portfolio. This milestone extends the Group's footprint into one of the world's most important agricultural export markets.
CLI operates two strategically important agri-bulk export terminals under long-term concessions:
1. CLI Sul, at the Port of Santos: a leading sugar export terminal that also handles corn and soybeans.
2. CLI Norte, at the Port of Itaqui: part of Brazil's 'Arc of the North,' an important logistics corridor for agricultural exports.
Together, the two terminals connect Brazil's major producing regions with global markets. For cargo owners moving sugar, grain, and oilseeds, both terminals serve as key gateways between inland farms and international buyers.
Mohammed Al Tamimi, Chief Executive Officer of Noatum Ports - AD Ports Group, said: 'The formal completion of the CLI acquisition marks an important development in AD Ports Group's international growth and strengthens our presence in one of the world's most important agricultural export markets. The acquisition gives our Group powerful new global reach and capabilities. AD Ports Group, through its international ports operating arm Noatum Ports, is committed to quickly integrating CLI into our existing global operations, to further expand the range and relevance of our portfolio of global end-to-end trade solutions.'
Fernando Lohmann, Head of Macquarie Asset Management in Brazil, said: 'CLI has delivered strong growth and built a highly competitive position in Brazil's port and logistics market, supported by strategic assets, operational scale, and a resilient customer base. With the transaction now completed following all required approvals, AD Ports Group is well positioned to build on that platform, which has clear relevance to Brazil's trade flows, and support CLI's next phase of development.'
Paulo Todescan L. Mattos, Co-Founder, Managing Partner, Chair, and Co-CIO of IG4 Capital Group, said: 'We are grateful for the constructive engagement of all parties involved in bringing this transaction to its close. CLI has evolved into an important supply chain provider supporting Brazil's export and import markets with a strong operating platform. We are proud of the progress achieved in transforming CLI and believe AD Ports Group is well placed to support CLI's continued development and long-term growth.'
With the transaction complete, AD Ports Group intends to establish new trade routes directly connecting Brazil with Khalifa Port and the Abu Dhabi Food Hub in KEZAD, the region's largest food hub. These routes will support the movement of Brazilian agricultural commodities into regional and international markets.
The acquisition also creates opportunities to connect Brazilian export flows with the Group's wider network across ports, maritime and shipping, logistics, economic cities, and digital trade services. This integrated network is positioned to support new trade links between South America, the Indian Subcontinent, East Africa, and Southeast Asia.
For shippers, the combination of origin terminals in Brazil and destination infrastructure in Abu Dhabi points to greater supply-chain continuity, with a single group involved at both ends of key agricultural trade lanes. Freight forwarders and importers may find new routing options as these corridors take shape, particularly for agricultural commodities bound for markets across the Gulf, Asia, and Africa.
The acquisition strengthens AD Ports Group's growing agrifoods platform and broadens its ability to serve customers across the agricultural supply chain. Through CLI, the Group will contribute its global ports and logistics expertise to a major agricultural export market while supporting the continued development of Brazil's trade infrastructure.
The transaction also reinforces AD Ports Group's commitment to building resilient, connected, and customer-focused supply chains that enable trade across continents. With CLI now part of its portfolio, AD Ports Group is not just adding two terminals but opening a new trade corridor between South America and the markets it serves.
