DP World Ltd. plans to develop a logistic hub in Mali, the latest push by the Dubai-based port operator to expand its operations in Africa.
DP World signed a 20-year concession with Mali to build and operate a 1,000-hectare logistics hub outside of Bamako, the capital and largest city of the country, according to a statement. The Mali Logistics Hub will have inland container depots and container freight stations that will facilitate the import and export of goods.
In Africa, DP World operates ports in Algeria, Somaliland, Rwanda, Mozambique, Djibouti and Senegal. It has a portfolio of 78 marine and inland terminals across six continents, according to information on its website.
The Mali hub will be located on the main road corridor from Dakar, Senegal to Bamako and close to the Dakar-Bamako rail line and will be capable of handling 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit, 4 million tons of bulk and general cargo. Construction in the first phase of the project, with an estimated initial investment of $50 million, is expected to start in 2019.
The hub “will provide the country with a logistics platform that aims to facilitate the import and export of goods via the Port of Dakar, which is operated by DP World,” DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed said.
