Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi has climbed five places to rank 34th among the world’s 100 largest container ports, after recording the highest annual container throughput growth among the global top 40, according to Lloyd’s List’s 2026 ranking.
Container throughputs in Abu Dhabi reached 6.59 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, up 21.6% from 5.42 million TEUs a year earlier, Lloyd’s List data showed.
The increase moved Abu Dhabi up from 39th place in the 2025 ranking to 34th in 2026, placing it ahead of Manila, Santos, Yingkou, Colón, Savannah and Valencia in this year’s list.
The 21.6% year-on-year increase was also the strongest growth recorded by any port within Lloyd’s List’s global top 40.
Lloyd’s List identified CMA Terminals Khalifa Port as a key contributor to the increase. The terminal handled around 1.3 million TEUs during its first full year of operations, after opening in January 2025.
A major expansion project agreed in November 2025 is also set to increase annual handling capacity at CMA Terminals Khalifa Port by almost 50%, according to Lloyd’s List.
The UAE had three entries in the 2026 ranking, as Dubai remained the highest-ranked UAE port and placed ninth globally, Abu Dhabi followed at 34, while Khorfakkan/Sharjah ranked 86th globally.
The world’s 100 leading container ports handled a combined 792.2 million TEUs in 2025, an increase of 6.3% year-on-year, according to Lloyd’s List. Asia accounted for almost 68% of total throughput across the ranking, while Chinese ports alone handled more than 40%.
Lloyd’s List said ports in the Middle East and Africa were among those recording some of the strongest growth as shipping companies adjusted their networks in response to changing trade patterns and geopolitical disruption.
