DP World, the Dubai-based international port operator, said yesterday its profit rose 12 percent in 2014, a year in which it assumed ownership of a sister company that runs free-trade zones in the Gulf emirate. The government-backed company said it earned $675 million in profit attributable to its owners last year, up from $604 million in 2013. DP World ranks among the world's largest port operators, with business at more than 65 marine terminals globally. It is heavily focused on fast-growing developing markets, and it runs the Middle East's busiest port, Dubai's Jebel Ali. Its portfolio also includes the new London Gateway port in Britain.