DP World has announced plans to develop a new edible oil terminal at the Port of Berbera in Somaliland. The terminal will initially have a storage capacity of 18,000 tonnes, with the potential to expand as demand grows. The facility will be able to service vessels with a draught of up to 16 meters, allowing the port to handle bulk imports of edible oil for the first time. The new terminal is expected to reduce supply chain costs and create vital local jobs.
Mzahim Investment LLC, a subsidiary of Essa Al Ghurair Investments of the UAE, has already agreed to a long-term lease for the facility. Mzahim Investment will also establish a local packaging plant in Berbera to provide existing customers in Somaliland and the wider Horn of Africa with products, potentially employing up to 100 people.
” As a UAE-based family business, we have traded with the region for nearly 40 years. Having a facility in Berbera will continue to strengthen our business ties with the region. The presence of DP World played a significant role in encouraging businesses like ours to invest in the region,” the Chairman of Essa Al Ghurair Investments, Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair, stated.
The Berbera edible oil facility will allow us to manufacture locally, ensuring essential commodities such as edible oil are affordable and freshly available to the locals. Through manufacturing, we can play a role in creating employment and nurturing talent, especially in the skilled and semi-skilled workforce,” he added.
The development of the edible oil terminal is part of DP World’s plan to transform Berbera into an integrated maritime, logistics, and industrial trade hub to serve the Horn of Africa. The region has a population of more than 140 million people.
“Our development of the edible oil terminal is a game changer for the region and is another example of how we are reducing the cost to trade by finding solutions that meet the needs of our customers while having a positive impact on local communities in terms of job creation and easier access to goods. As part of the Berbera port and economic zone ecosystem, this facility is the type of integrated port infrastructure that attracts international investors such as EGI looking to get closer to their customers.”
Suhail Albanna, CEO and Managing Director of DP World Middle East and Africa
