Abu Dhabi Ports Inks $300M Lease Deals with Top Indian Firms to Boost UAE-India Trade Ties

Abu Dhabi Ports Group just signed deals worth over 1.1 billion dirhams with two major Indian companies - Jindal SAW Group and Haldiram Group. These investments will create massive industrial facilities spanning more than 514,000 square meters across KIZAD Al Mamoura and ICAD-KIZAD Musaffah, marking a significant expansion of manufacturing capacity in the UAE.

The agreements were signed during the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum in Mumbai, organized by Abu Dhabi Investment Office and the Department of Economic Development. This timing shows how actively the UAE is courting Indian industrial giants to set up regional operations.

Jindal SAW, a global leader in steel pipe manufacturing, plans to build a seamless steel pipe facility with 300,000 tons annual capacity. The project covers nearly 400,000 square meters with an investment close to one billion dirhams. The facility will produce high-precision steel pipes and fittings for oil and gas exploration and transportation, serving both local and international markets.

What makes this interesting is Jindal SAW's existing relationship with KIZAD. P.R. Jindal, chairman of Jindal SAW Group, said their long-standing partnership has been key to accelerating growth in the region. The company sees Abu Dhabi as a strong launch pad for expansion, thanks to integrated infrastructure and world-class logistics connectivity.

The steel pipe project alone will create around 1,000 jobs. This comes at a time when global demand for energy infrastructure is growing, and the UAE wants to position itself as a manufacturing hub for the energy sector.

Haldiram, India's $10 billion snacks and sweets giant, is setting up its first manufacturing center in the Middle East and North Africa region. The facility spans 114,000 square meters in KIZAD Al Mamoura with an investment between 150-200 million dirhams.

The food manufacturing plant will house up to 11 specialized production lines to cater to diverse consumer tastes across regional and global markets. This project is expected to create over 300 jobs and represents Haldiram's first major expansion into Middle Eastern manufacturing.

Manohar Lal Agarwal, chairman of Haldiram Group, said Abu Dhabi offers advanced infrastructure and supportive regulatory environment. KIZAD's supply chain efficiency and world-class logistics make it an ideal platform for expanding into Middle East and North Africa markets.

These investments align with Abu Dhabi's industrial strategy to develop manufacturing sectors, accelerate adoption of modern technologies, and increase added value of local products. The deals strengthen specialized industrial clusters in KIZAD, particularly in food, metals, and energy sectors.

For investors and manufacturers, this signals Abu Dhabi's growing appeal as a regional production base. The emirate is building end-to-end industrial ecosystems that can serve both local consumption and export markets. The focus on food manufacturing and energy-related steel production shows strategic thinking about sectors with long-term growth potential.

Abdullah Al Hameli, CEO of Economic Cities and Free Zones at Abu Dhabi Ports Group, said these projects reflect Abu Dhabi's leadership in developing a strong industrial ecosystem that gains trust from international investors. The investments support the UAE's broader economic diversification goals beyond oil dependency.