BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BBAI) and AD Ports Group’s digital arm Maqta Technologies announced a strategic partnership on January 28, 2026, at the World Customs Organization Technology Conference in Abu Dhabi. The collaboration will co‑develop and deliver AI‑powered customs and border‑operations solutions worldwide, combining BigBear.ai’s edge‑AI decision‑intelligence platform with AD Ports Group’s extensive port‑management and logistics network.
The partnership is a key step in BigBear.ai’s transition from project‑based services to a recurring software‑as‑a‑service model. By integrating its veriScan facial‑recognition and decision‑intelligence technology with Maqta’s digital customs clearance and port community systems, the joint effort aims to accelerate goods processing, increase revenue collection for governments, and enhance detection of contraband such as human trafficking, narcotics, and arms. The deal positions BigBear.ai to capture new revenue streams across a market that supports roughly $17 trillion in seaborne trade annually.
BigBear.ai has been expanding its global footprint in the past months. A regional office opened in Abu Dhabi in December 2025, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the UAE’s EDGE Group on January 20, 2026 to provide AI solutions for defense and national security, and the company acquired CargoSeer, an AI‑powered inspection and trade‑risk management firm, on January 21, 2026. These moves underscore the company’s focus on scaling its AI platform and deepening its presence in high‑growth trade‑security markets.
CEO Kevin McAleenan said the partnership “will enhance security and speed up trade flows,” adding that the combination of BigBear.ai’s AI expertise with AD Ports Group’s global leadership will “deliver next‑generation platforms that improve efficiency, transparency, and risk management across global trade networks.” AD Ports Group CEO Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi echoed this sentiment, noting that the collaboration will “improve efficiency, transparency, and risk management across global trade networks.”
The alliance offers a force‑multiplier for customs authorities and commercial operators, giving BigBear.ai access to AD Ports Group’s network of ports and logistics hubs while providing the ports group with cutting‑edge AI tools that can be monetized on a subscription basis. The partnership is expected to accelerate BigBear.ai’s recurring revenue growth, strengthen its competitive position against traditional customs‑software vendors, and support the company’s broader strategy of expanding into high‑margin, high‑growth verticals such as border security and trade facilitation.
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