Dubai: DP World on Saturday officially opened its new Doraleh Container Terminal in Djibouti, ome of the largest and most modern terminals in East Africa.
The Doraleh terminal has the capacity to handle 1.2m teu annually while its 18-metre draft and 1,050-metre quay can easily accommodate largest ships in service including 10,000-15,000 teu vessels.
"Doraleh Container Terminal is a testament to a vision shared by the President of Djibouti, His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, DP World and Dubai World, and is a lasting model for large-scale public-private partnerships in Africa," said DP World chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.
Sulayem said the terminal's capacity over time will be raised to about 3 million teu as trade in the region expands.
"We have invested both financial and human resources in Djibouti over the past nine years as part of our long term commitment to our partnership here. That investment in efficient infrastructure has helped stimulate the economy and supported trade, which in turn has benefited our business," said Sulayem.
Djibouti is strategically located in East Africa, along one of the fastest growing East-West international shipping routes. About 85 per cent of imports into Djibouti are destined for the land-locked nation of Ethiopia.
The Doraleh terminal is expected to increase port traffic and open up new opportunities for investment and growth, including breaking the country's reliance on Ethiopia's trade and attracting other African countries to use the port as a gateway too. [09/02/09]
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