DP World evaluates stake in Associated British Ports

Dubai’s DP World is reportedly planning to evaluate acquiring a controlling stake in Associated British Ports, one of the UK’s largest port operators.

Canada’s Brookfield is also considering a similar move, Bloomberg reported, quoting unidentified sources.

US-based KKR & Company and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners have already expressed their initial interest, the report said.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Omers Administration, which has headquarters in Toronto, are planning to sell their combined 64 percent stake in AB Ports for £10 billion ($13.2 billion), the report said.

CPPIB owns a 33.9 percent stake in AB Ports, while Omers holds 30 percent, according to AB Ports’ 2025 annual report. 

The remaining stake is held by Singapore’s GIC (20 percent), the UK’s Hermes Infrastructure (6.1 percent) and Wren House, a direct infrastructure investment arm of the Kuwait Investment Authority (10 percent).

AB Ports operates 21 facilities in England, Scotland and Wales, handling 25 percent of the UK’s seaborne trade, according to its website.

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DP World already operates two deepwater ports and freight rail terminals at London Gateway and Southampton, according to its website. 

In March, the Dubai government-backed company said its top line grew 22 percent year on year to $24.4 billion. Profit increased 32 percent to nearly $2 billion last year, driven by effective cost management.

DP World has set its capex budget at $3 billion for 2026, with a focus on priority projects, including Jebel Ali, Drydocks World, Tuna Tekra in India, London Gateway in the UK, and Ndayane in Senegal.