Business Bureau, Gulf Today

DP World said on Sunday it will soon be finalising agreements on the construction of a new port and economic zone in Dakar, capital of Senegal. The project will support the economic growth of Senegal by developing Dakar into a major logistics hub and gateway to west and north-west Africa.

The announcement was made following a meeting between Macky Sall, President of Senegal, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

“The economic zone in Dakar will serve as a great aggregator of cargo, creating a hub for African exporters and importers and generating value for Senegal and businesses in the region,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. “We discussed the great progress of the Senegalese economy and the role DP World can play in the development of a port and economic zone serving west and north-west Africa.’’ DP World has designed a master plan for the development of the Port de Futur which will see it develop into a multi-purpose port including economic and logistics zones adjacent to the new Blaise Diagne International Airport.

DP World will be responsible for the development of the initial phase of the port, constructing a modern north-west container terminal capable of handling the largest container vessels in operation today.

The development of the Port de Futur allows for the creation of cargo and free movement of goods to support the country’s ‘Plan Senegal Emergent,’ unleashing new trading opportunities that can bring about economic diversification and boost non-resource exports. The port will reinforce Senegal’s position as an Investment and Trade hub in West Africa and help attract new foreign direct investment to the country.

DP World has operations in Senegal, Egypt, Mozambique, Somaliland, Rwanda, Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Meanwhile,  King Abdullah Port, the first privately owned, developed and operated port in the Middle East, is extending its support for the upcoming 2020 edition of Breakbulk Middle East. This marks the third consecutive year in which King Abdullah Port will contribute to the success of the conference and exhibition.

Held under the patronage of  Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority (FTA) for Land and Maritime, BBME will take place from the 25th – 26th of February at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, UAE.

Officially inaugurated by HRH Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, in February 2019, King Abdullah Port has established itself as a leading regional logistics hub. As one of the largest infrastructure megaprojects in the Middle East run fully by the private sector, the facility is set to play a key role in achieving the objectives of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s ambitious roadmap for the future.

The port has gone through a phase of rapid expansion and was named second among the world’s fastest growing ports by Alphaliner in 2018. The same year, it moved up to 83rd place on the list of the world’s 100 biggest container ports.

Ranked as the second-largest in the Kingdom in terms of container handling, King Abdullah Port’s position, with the launch of a new Smart Gate System, is set to boost the efficiency of cargo flowing in and out, and volumes are poised to increase further in the year ahead.

Ben Blamire, Event Director of Breakbulk Middle East emphasized, “Having the full support of an esteemed industry name such as King Abdullah Port is highly beneficial for our event. Similarly, we are adamant on reciprocating this support by ensuring Breakbulk Middle East provides the utmost value, not only to our loyal and valued sponsors, but also to each and every exhibitor and visitor. When examining the grand scheme of it all, contributing to the industry’s growth, and in turn the region’s success is the reason behind Breakbulk Middle East. The collective support of key governmental figures, leading decision makers, and various industry players is what allows us to achieve this vision. Thus, we are extremely grateful to King Abdullah Port and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the many years ahead.

In addition to King Abdullah Port’s Platinum Sponsorship, the two-day GCC project cargo and breakbulk event has secured the support of DP World, Abu Dhabi Ports, Agility, MICCO Logistics, Bahri, COSCO Shipping, and more.

Leslie Meredith, Marketing Director, Breakbulk Events & Media chimed in saying, “We are proud to say that on a yearly basis Breakbulk Middle East manages to maintain its status as the fastest growing event in our global portfolio. We are aware that a large part of this success is built on a foundation that requires the strong support of the industry’s most influential counterparts such as King Abdullah Port.