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AD Ports Group has signed an agreement to acquire Germany based freight forwarder MBS Logistics for an enterprise value of AED 300 million, or about EUR 70 million, as the Abu Dhabi group expands deeper into Central Europe and key Asia Europe trade lanes.
The deal gives AD Ports full ownership of MBS Logistics’ core business, excluding joint ventures, and adds a long-established freight forwarding network anchored in Germany’s industrial and logistics hubs. Completion remains subject to European Union regulatory approval and is expected in the second half of 2026.
For AD Ports, the move is less about adding warehouses or vessels and more about securing position inside Europe’s cargo arteries. Germany remains Europe’s largest economy and one of the world’s most important export gateways. In freight forwarding, location still matters. Having boots on the ground near manufacturing clusters often determines who controls cargo flows.
Germany strengthens European access
MBS Logistics generated AED 870 million, or EUR 205 million, in revenue during 2025 through an asset light logistics model focused on freight forwarding across Germany and Central Europe. The company operates 26 offices globally and employs more than 450 staff.
Its services cover air, ocean, road and rail freight, alongside project cargo, customs compliance, contract logistics and time critical multimodal transport.
The acquisition expands the reach of Noatum Logistics, the logistics arm of AD Ports, which already operates more than 80 offices across 26 countries. Combined, the networks are expected to increase cargo density on Europe Asia and Trans Atlantic trade lanes while improving procurement leverage and shipment consolidation opportunities.
Jochen Thewes, CEO of the Logistics Cluster at AD Ports Group, described the acquisition as a strategic step at a time when supply chains are under pressure to improve resilience and connectivity.
“Bringing MBS Logistics into our ecosystem is the right move at the right time, especially as markets seek greater connectivity and resilience in an evolving global trade and logistics landscape,” he said.
He added that Germany’s role as the world’s third-largest trading economy provides AD Ports with a stronger base to compete for larger international freight contracts.
China and Vietnam trade lanes expand
The acquisition also strengthens AD Ports’ footprint across Asia. MBS Logistics maintains established operations in China and Vietnam, both of which remain critical manufacturing and export centres for European and North American cargo flows.
That network could prove valuable as freight forwarders continue adjusting sourcing strategies away from single country dependencies. Many logistics providers are now balancing China manufacturing volumes with growing production activity in Southeast Asia.
MBS also operates along the eastern seaboard of the United States, adding another layer of connectivity for trans Atlantic cargo movements.
Automotive and aerospace cargo add diversification
One notable aspect of the transaction is sector exposure. MBS Logistics serves industries ranging from retail and ecommerce to engineering and healthcare, but its automotive footprint across Central Europe stands out for AD Ports.
The deal also introduces aerospace logistics to the group’s portfolio, a segment where time sensitive transport and supply chain precision often command higher forwarding margins.
For project cargo and heavy transport operators, the transaction reflects a broader trend already visible across the freight forwarding market. Scale increasingly determines competitiveness. Customers want integrated networks capable of handling cargo across multiple transport modes and regions without handing shipments between disconnected providers.
