AD Ports Group has agreed to acquire Brazil’s leading independent agri-bulk port terminal operator Corredor Logística e Infraestrutura (CLI) for an enterprise value of Dhs3.1bn ($835m), marking its entry into the Latin American market and its largest acquisition to date.

The Abu Dhabi-listed ports and logistics group agreed to acquire CLI from joint owners Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital, expanding its presence in the global agricultural commodities supply chain and strengthening its international footprint.

The transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary regulatory and antitrust approvals, gives AD Ports Group ownership of a platform that handled 17m tonnes of agri-bulk cargo in 2025 and generated revenue of Dhs 654m ($178m) and EBITDA of Dhs360m ($98m).

São Paulo-based CLI operates two major agri-bulk export terminals under long-term concessions. These include CLI Sul at the Port of Santos, Brazil’s leading sugar export terminal and a key export gateway for corn and soybeans, and CLI Norte at the Port of Itaqui, a major grains terminal located in the country’s rapidly growing “Arc of the North” agricultural export corridor.

CLI owns 100 per cent of CLI Norte and 80 per cent of CLI Sul.

The acquisition positions AD Ports Group among South America’s leading independent agri-bulk terminal operators and provides access to opportunities across its maritime, shipping, logistics, economic cities and digital services businesses.

“The purchase of CLI is a game-changer for AD Ports Group. The transaction extends our Group’s international reach for the first time into Latin America, and deepens our growing agrifoods activities, one of our core verticals,” said Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, MD and group CEO of AD Ports Group.

“Under the wise guidance of our leadership in the UAE, AD Ports Group is committed to enabling trade in one of the world’s most important, fastest-growing agricultural commodities markets, which will not only benefit the group’s global clients, including those in Brazil, but also strengthen the AD Ports Group global network,” he added.

Brazil is the world’s largest sugar exporter and one of the world’s largest grain exporters, with the ports of Santos and Itaqui serving as critical gateways linking agricultural production regions to global markets.

East-West trade corridor

AD Ports Group said Brazil would support its plans to develop a major East-West trade corridor linking South America’s largest economy with the Indian subcontinent, East Africa and Southeast Asia.

The acquisition also comes as the United Arab Emirates advances negotiations with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc that includes Brazil, on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

CLI’s existing senior management team will remain in place following completion of the transaction.

Fernando Lohmann, head of Macquarie Asset Management in Brazil, said the country’s agricultural export sector continued to demonstrate resilience and remained a critical component of global commodity markets.

“As a long-term investor in the country, Macquarie remains committed to acting as a responsible custodian of essential infrastructure assets that help drive economic development, improve connectivity and support Brazil’s role in global trade, and we believe AD Ports Group is ideally positioned to support CLI’s next phase of growth,” he said.

Paulo Todescan L Mattos, co-founder, managing partner and CEO of IG4 Capital, said AD Ports Group was well-positioned to build on the platform’s development.

“We believe AD Ports Group is the right strategic owner to build on this foundation, bringing global trade expertise, infrastructure capabilities, and a long-term vision that will support CLI’s continued growth and development,” he said.

A landmark acquisition

The purchase represents AD Ports Group’s largest acquisition, surpassing its Dhs 2.65bn ($720m) acquisition of Spain’s Noatum in 2023 and its Dhs1.9bn ($510m) purchase of a 51 per cent stake in Dubai-based Global Feeder Shipping in 2024.

The deal also advances the group’s strategy of expanding its agrifood logistics portfolio. Recent investments include a long-term agricultural bulk handling project at Karachi Port in Pakistan, a $30m investment in Kazakhstan’s Sarzha Grain Terminal, and a 30-year concession to operate Jordan’s Aqaba multipurpose port.

AD Ports Group was advised by BTG Pactual on the transaction, while Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital were advised by Citi.

The UAE’s real estate market showed diverging trends in Q1 2026 as regional disruptions weighed heavily on hospitality, while residential and industrial sectors demonstrated resilience, according to a report released by property consultancy JLL.

The report said recent geopolitical tensions affected transaction activity across the country’s property market, although strong underlying demand and investor confidence continued to support key sectors.

“The first quarter presented a clear divergence in the UAE’s real estate market, with sharp challenges for hospitality and resilience in the living, industrial and logistics sector,” said Taimur Khan, head of Research, Middle East and Africa at JLL.

“While government incentives and agile strategies are easing the pressure in the short-term, strong market fundamentals and investor confidence position the wider economy for continued stability and a firm rebound as conditions normalise. This transition phase is a period of strategic adjustment, not a structural decline.”

In the residential sector, Dubai experienced a sharp initial slowdown, with weekly transaction values declining by nearly 50 per cent following the onset of geopolitical tensions before moderating and showing resilience.

Dubai’s off-plan residential market outperformed the secondary market during the quarter. Off-plan sales increased 9.5 per cent year-on-year, while secondary market sales fell 8.2 per cent.

In Abu Dhabi, new project launches pushed transaction volumes to more than double year-on-year during the first quarter, despite an 11.8 per cent decline in transactions recorded in March.

Residential prices in Dubai continued to rise, although annual appreciation moderated to between 8 per cent and 12 per cent, compared with 16 per cent to 19 per cent previously.

JLL said investor-focused properties were facing greater pricing pressure than owner-occupier stock.

Rental activity

Rental activity reflected increased caution among tenants. In Abu Dhabi, total registrations fell 8.4 per cent, although new contracts rose 13.4 per cent as tenants relocated in search of better terms.

Dubai’s registrations remained broadly stable during the quarter but fell 19.7 per cent in March as tenants became more reluctant to commit to long-term leases.

JLL forecasts around 59,000 residential units will be delivered across Abu Dhabi and Dubai during the remainder of 2026, with nearly 92,000 additional units expected in 2027, although supply chain disruptions could affect delivery schedules.

Hospitality hit hard

The hospitality sector faced the strongest headwinds as regional tensions and disruptions to air connectivity affected travel demand.

According to the report, daily UAE flight volumes had nearly halved by the end of the first quarter compared with levels before the disruptions in late February.

The country’s hotels recorded weaker performance as a result. Dubai’s occupancy rate fell by 39.4 percentage points in March compared with the same month a year earlier, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) declined 65.6 per cent.

Nationally, RevPAR declined 10.8 per cent, with Dubai recording the largest drop at 12.4 per cent. Ras Al Khaimah showed relative resilience in average daily rates (ADR), posting an 11 per cent year-on-year increase in March despite a 36.3 percentage point decline in occupancy.

JLL said the services sector, particularly hotels and restaurants, is forecast to contract by 10.8 per cent year-on-year during the adjustment period.

Development activity in hospitality remained active, with major projects continuing to progress and investors refining strategies, including delaying some openings until conditions stabilise.

Incentives to support sectors

The UAE government’s Dhs1bn economic incentives package has helped support hotel liquidity through fee deferrals, while operators have sought to offset lower occupancy by accelerating renovations and promoting domestic staycation offers.

The industrial and logistics sector remained one of the strongest performers.

Dubai’s industrial market recorded rental growth of 12.8 year-on-year in the first quarter, with average rents reaching Dhs48 per square foot. Abu Dhabi achieved rental growth of 18.2 per cent, with average rents reaching Dhs486 per square metre.

Rental contract renewals in Dubai rose 3.4 per cent during the quarter, indicating continued tenant confidence, although new leasing transactions fell 9.1 per cent as some occupiers reassessed expansion plans.

JLL said demand linked to essential goods sectors, including food distribution, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and critical commodities, is expected to remain strong despite ongoing uncertainties.

The report added that near-term performance is likely to vary between facilities serving essential goods and those focused on discretionary or export-dependent sectors.

India has tightened restrictions on silver imports by adding grain and powder forms to the list of restricted categories and mandating prior valid import authorisation, as the world’s biggest consumer of the metal tries to rein in shipments and ease pressure on the rupee.

Imports of silver in the form of grains, powder, other forms and where content is 99.9 per cent silver are restricted, according to a government order issued on Tuesday, and importers would need to secure a valid import authorisation from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

Last month, India had placed imports of silver bars with 99.9 per cent purity and all other semi-manufactured forms of silver under the restricted category.

It had also raised import tariffs on gold and silver to 15 per cent from 6 per cent as part of efforts to reduce overseas purchases of the metals and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves caused by higher oil prices.

The South Asian country spent a record $12bn on silver imports in the financial year ended March 2026, compared with $4.8bn a year earlier.

In April, India’s silver imports jumped 157 per cent from a year earlier to $411m, trade ministry data showed.

“The government has made it harder for the bullion industry to bring in silver. Importers now need approval first, and there is no clear idea if they will get it or how long it will take,” said a Mumbai-based bullion dealer with a private bank.

Silver is used in India for jewellery, coins, bars and industrial applications ranging from solar energy to electronics.

Over the past year, demand has been driven more by investment buying than traditional jewellery and silverware consumption, with inflows into silver ETFs climbing to a record high.

India imports silver mainly from the UAE, Britain and China.

Dubai’s wealth management market has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by the movement of global capital, the growth of family offices, and the UAE’s position as a gateway between East and West. With that growth has come a crowded advisory landscape, where credibility, regulatory depth, and client trust have become increasingly important.

Capital Haus enters this market with a clear point of difference. The Australian-founded financial services group has secured its DIFC licence, established a Dubai office, and introduced a model that its founder, Brendan Gow, describes simply: “We do it with you, not for you.”

That distinction sits at the centre of the firm’s approach. In a market where clients can often feel distant from decisions made about their own capital, Capital Haus is built around transparency, personal involvement, and a close working relationship between advisor and client. These are not external brand messages for the firm. They are the principles on which the business was founded.

From Sydney to Dubai

Capital Haus was founded in Sydney in 2019. Since then, it has grown from 15 clients and approximately $5 million in assets under management to around $1.2 billion across approximately 7,000 clients and 65 staff. That expansion has been achieved without raising institutional capital or selling equity. Instead, the firm has grown through a disciplined mergers and acquisitions strategy funded through its own cash flow.

Its first acquisition tripled assets under management and increased revenue. In December 2025, Capital Haus acquired Baker Young, a 40-year-old Australian private wealth firm with a long history in stockbroking and funds management. Capital Haus says it was selected ahead of firms with longer operating histories, with the decision shaped by brand, vision, and strategic fit rather than price alone.

A similar outcome followed in Singapore, where the firm won an acquisition process against UBS on the same terms. For Capital Haus, the pattern reflects a broader strategy: competing through clarity of thinking, culture, and long-term vision rather than scale alone.

“The Middle East rewards ambition, but it demands seriousness from firms that want long-term relevance. We are entering this market with regulatory depth, operational infrastructure, and a philosophy that puts client relationships before short-term revenue.”
— Brendan Gow

The Australia-UAE wealth corridor

Capital Haus’s entry into the UAE is more than a geographic expansion. It reflects the growing movement of capital, families, and business interests between Australia and the Middle East.

For Middle Eastern families and entrepreneurs, Australia offers stability, regulatory transparency, and access to alternative investment opportunities. For Australian businesses and investors, the UAE provides access to emerging markets, a strategic base between East and West, and an internationally connected platform for growth.

Capital Haus sits at the intersection of these two flows. With Australian market expertise, international infrastructure, and multi-jurisdictional regulatory standing, the firm is positioned to support clients whose wealth, families, and business interests extend across borders.

Its founding philosophy, “Global Vision, Local Insight,” was developed for this client profile. It reflects Gow’s view that many financial services firms remain too domestically focused to properly serve internationally minded clients.

Regulatory credibility in a crowded market

For Capital Haus, its DIFC licence is central to its UAE proposition. In a market where the gap between regulated advisors and transactional operators has widened, regulatory credibility has become a key factor for clients assessing long-term advisory relationships.

Alongside its oversight by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and its Luxembourg presence, Capital Haus offers clients a multi-jurisdictional framework. For families managing intergenerational wealth, or businesses operating across borders, that regulatory structure provides an important layer of confidence.

The firm is also formally qualified across its advisory team, a distinction that further supports its positioning in a market where professional standards can vary significantly.

A platform built for cross-border clients

Capital Haus offers services across stockbroking, private wealth management, financial advice, portfolio management, funds management, accounting, corporate advisory, corporate finance, and research. This breadth allows clients to coordinate their wealth across jurisdictions without relying on multiple disconnected service providers.

The firm has also developed capabilities that are uncommon among advisory businesses of its size. Its in-house media division, IHM, supports thought leadership and client education, while its technology strategy favours ownership and control through proprietary and white-labelled platforms. This gives the business room to scale while maintaining consistency in the client experience.

For UAE-based partners, family offices, and institutions, the platform also creates strategic opportunities. Capital Haus’s cross-border licensing, white-label capability, and acquisition experience provide potential pathways for regional businesses seeking access to Australian markets or broader international wealth infrastructure.

What the UAE market needs now

Dubai’s wealth management market is evolving. First-generation entrepreneurs are planning for succession. Family offices are diversifying beyond real estate and traditional asset classes. A younger generation of investors expects transparency, digital access, and a more active role in how their wealth is managed.

These are the conditions Capital Haus was built to address. Its model brings together intergenerational wealth planning, access to alternative investments and ASX-listed opportunities, and a service approach that combines institutional capability with personal attention.

Capital Haus is not positioning itself as the largest wealth manager in the region. Its ambition is more focused: to become a trusted cross-border advisor for clients and families operating between Australia, the Middle East, and global markets.

Capital Haus is an Australian-founded financial services group operating across private wealth management, stockbroking, funds management, corporate advisory, and research. The firm is headquartered in Sydney, with offices in Dubai’s DIFC and Luxembourg, and is developing operations in Singapore and London.

Etihad Rail Freight, the freight services arm of Etihad Rail, has partnered with the Abu Dhabi Fishermen Cooperative Society (ADFCS) to transport fresh fish from Al Sila’ Port to Abu Dhabi Fish Market using refrigerated rail containers, in a move designed to support local fishermen and enhance the efficiency of the UAE’s seafood supply chain.

The initiative underscores Etihad Rail Freight’s commitment to supporting a sector that remains deeply connected to the UAE’s cultural heritage and economic development. By providing temperature-controlled logistics solutions, the company is helping fishermen access reliable transportation services that preserve product quality while improving operational efficiency.

Cold-chain logistics enhances freshness and reliability

Through the use of refrigerated containers, Etihad Rail Freight is ensuring that fresh fish is transported under carefully controlled conditions, maintaining product freshness throughout the journey. The service is designed to reduce transit times and offer an efficient alternative to traditional transport methods, helping local businesses deliver high-quality products to market.

Read more-Etihad Rail Freight’s Omar Alsebeyi on why the future of UAE logistics runs on rail

The shipment was transported directly from fishermen operating at Al Sila’ Port, one of the UAE’s key centres for fishing activities and marine services, to Abu Dhabi Fish Market. The operation forms part of Etihad Rail Freight’s integrated logistics model, which combines first- and last-mile solutions with rail transportation to provide seamless end-to-end freight services.

Expanding partnerships and supporting economic growth

The collaboration also highlights Etihad Rail Freight’s broader strategy to expand commercial partnerships and diversify the range of commodities transported across the UAE’s national rail network. As demand grows for efficient and sustainable logistics solutions, the company continues to strengthen its role in supporting the country’s supply chain infrastructure and economic development objectives.

Etihad Rail Freight said the initiative demonstrates its ability to deliver competitive cold-chain transportation services while addressing the evolving needs of businesses across the UAE.=

The partnership further aligns with Etihad Rail Freight’s commitment to safe and sustainable transportation solutions that contribute to the UAE’s emissions reduction goals. Building on previous milestones, including the country’s first rail transport of passenger vehicles with Al Masaood Automobiles, the company continues to advance an integrated transport ecosystem designed to support long-term economic growth and logistics innovation.