Since the historic agreement between the Morocco and the United Arab Emirates six months ago, the latter’s investments in Africa experienced significant expansion. DP World PLCa UAE company specializing in international maritime terminals and logistics, recently announced a colossal investment of 3 billion dollars over the next three to five years to develop new port infrastructure across the African continent.
This ambitious initiative aims to respond to the continued growth in exports of vital minerals, such as copper from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, essential to the modern global economy. Mohammed AkoojeeManaging Director of DP World for the Sub-Saharan Africa region, highlighted the strategic opportunity that the African market represents, despite persistent logistical challenges.
He stressed the growing need to strengthen logistics capabilities to support the growing demand for products like cobalt and lithium, which are essential in various industrial sectors globally. The operations of DP World in Africa currently employ 27,000 people and encompass not only port operations but also logistics services and supply chain management.
Despite certain setbacks, such as the failure of the attempted partnership with Transnet SOC for the development of the largest container port inSouth Africathe company continues to explore new investment opportunities in South Africa and at Kenya.
The expansion of Emirati investments in Africa follows the official visit of the king Mohammed VI to United Arab Emirates in December 2023, where several bilateral agreements have been concluded, particularly in the port sector. These agreements aim to strengthen economic cooperation between the two nations and promote the development of port infrastructure projects in Morocco, such as the port of Dakhla Atlantic and the wearing of Nador West Med.
