AD Ports Group and KTZ Express launch GulfLink JV to transform logistics

AD Ports Group has launched operations of its Central Asian logistics joint venture, GulfLink, in partnership with KTZ Express, the freight arm of Kazakhstan Railways. GulfLink is jointly owned by AD Ports Group (51 per cent) and KTZ Express JSC (49 per cent), the multimodal transport and logistics subsidiary of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ).

The venture is designed to support trade flows across the region by developing international transport corridors and boosting Kazakhstan’s role in the global logistics system.

The new venture offers cargo connectivity from Central Asia through Pakistan, Türkiye, the Arabian Gulf and the Indian subcontinent. GulfLink aims to provide more resilient and efficient supply chains for regional and international customers.

Kazakhstan, where approximately 70 per cent of freight moves by rail, plays a pivotal role in regional logistics. KTZ, with 16,000km of rail lines, is one of Central Asia’s largest and most strategic state-owned enterprises.

GulfLink is also expected to play a key role in reviving the Middle Corridor, a strategic East-West trade link connecting China and Europe through Central Asia. AD Ports Group has pledged investments of over $775m in Kazakhstan and is working on several initiatives, including a grain terminal and a multipurpose terminal at Kuryk Port.

The group’s growing Central Asian logistics network complements its maritime and port assets in Türkiye and Pakistan, as it continues to position itself as a global trade enabler across key emerging corridors.