DP World takes over a Chittagong terminal for 15 years, and NMDC launches its AED 618 mn rock dredger

DP World gets 15-year Bangladesh port concession

DP World has inked a 15-year concession pact with Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port Authority to operate and maintain the newly built New Mooring Container Terminal and an adjoining container yard, as per a press release. The terminal will remain state-owned while DP World does the heavy lifting — upgrading civil infrastructure, deploying digital logistics solutions, and managing daily terminal operations.

ICYMI- Last year, UAE maritime players were in talks for possible investments in Bangladeshi ports, including Chittagong. At the time, options included acquiring and managing operations for a major port. DP World was previously reported to be considering investing in a new terminal at Chittagong.

But for now, Bangladesh just wants less friction: Chittagong is Bangladesh’s economic lifeline, but chronic congestion routinely slows down the country's exports. DP World will link the terminal to its wider network of ports, logistics infrastructure, and supply-chain services.

Rock solid

NMDC Group has put its AED 618 mn rock-cutting dredger into service, giving the group more capacity to dig through hard seabed as it works through an AED 56.1 bn order book. The group inaugurated the Abu Al Bakhoush, the vessel it ordered in January which we flagged at the time, according to a disclosure (pdf).

The Abu Al Bakhoush is built for rock: The 148-meter cutter suction dredger, built by Jiangsu Haixin Shipping Heavy Industry, can dredge down to 38 meters and carries a 7.8 MW cutter designed for hard ground. It takes NMDC’s fleet past 170 vessels.

The dredger joins the fleet with plenty of work lined up: NMDC’s order book stood at AED 56.1 bn at the end of 1H 2026, after AED 7.8 bn in new awards during the half, according to the group’s 1H results. That compares with AED 62.3 bn in September 2025. Revenue for the half came in at AED 14.1 bn.