Stakeholder management (SHM) is a critical approach for organizations to identify, analyze, and engage stakeholders to align their diverse interests with strategic objectives. Ports, as complex and dynamic systems, play a crucial role in global trade, economic development, and environmental sustainability. Their operations involve diverse stakeholders, including government bodies, private enterprises, and local communities, each with varying and often conflicting interests. Effective SHM is essential to balance these interests and ensure sustainable port operations. However, existing SHM frameworks, primarily developed for generic organizational settings, often fail to address the unique characteristics of ports, such as decentralized decision-making, multifaceted stakeholder landscapes, and regulatory complexities. To bridge this gap, this study develops port-specific design principles for SHM based on a multiple case study of four ports with significant cargo and logistics functions. Using desk research and interviews with SHM professionals, six design principles were identified: decentralized decision-making, structured information exchange, sensitization and skill-building, stakeholder classification systems, integration of SHM with project management methodologies, and integration of the top management into the SHM. The proposed design principles provide a tailored framework to enhance stakeholder engagement and strategic alignment within the port sector.