By: AGBI

Global ports operator DP World has sold a minority stake in the Southern Container Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port on the eastern shore of the Red Sea to Danish shipping company Maersk.

APM Terminals, a subsidiary of Maersk, will acquire a 37.5 percent stake in the terminal, the Dubai-based company said in a statement without giving any financial details.

DP World will retain a 62.5 percent shareholding and continue to lead operations at the terminal.

The investment will enhance Jeddah Islamic Port’s role as a gateway to Saudi Arabia and a Red Sea hub connecting trade flows between Asia, Europe and Africa, DP World said. 

DP World secured a 30-year build-operate-transfer concession in 2019. It has undertaken an upgrade and expansion of the Southern Container Terminal, increasing capacity, improving efficiency and raising sustainability standards in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 development plan.

“Saudi Arabia is a strategic market for us and Jeddah Islamic Port has been central to our growth in the kingdom for more than two decades,” said Yuvraj Narayan, group CEO of DP World.

Keith Svendsen, CEO of APM Terminals, added that the investment secures long-term access to quality infrastructure as Jeddah is one of the region’s most important trade corridors. 

Last week, DP World appointed Essa Kazim as the new group chairman and CEO, replacing Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.

DP World was formed in 2005 by the merger of Dubai Ports Authority and Dubai Ports International and has a global network of more than 300 business units in more than 75 countries across six continents.

In its most recent financial results, the company reported a 70 percent increase in profit for the first half of 2025, with revenue up 20 percent year on year at $11.2 billion.