# DP World and CDC Plan $1.72bn African Port Expansion

> Global Construction Review reported on 13 October 2021 that DP World and CDC Group plan to invest $1.72bn in African ports, starting with Dakar…

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 30 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: ports, drainage
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/dp-world-cdc-african-port-expansion

## Key points

- DP World and CDC Group announced a $1.72bn investment plan for African ports, with initial focus on Dakar, Sokhna and Berbera.
- The plans, reported by Global Construction Review on 13 October 2021, include $1bn expected from DP World and up to $400m more from CDC, alongside some initial commitment.
- The transaction was subject to final regulatory approvals, and the article does not establish what has occurred at the ports since its publication.

On 13 October 2021, Global Construction Review reported that DP World and the UK government's development investor, CDC Group, had teamed up to expand African ports and said they would invest some $1.72bn in the next several years. The first investments would be in the ports of Dakar in Senegal, Sokhna in Egypt and Berbera in Somaliland, before moving on to ports and inland logistics across Africa.

According to the report, DP World would contribute its existing stakes in those three ports and then expected to invest $1bn. CDC was committing some $320m initially and up to $400m more in the coming years.

The parties said the initiative would help unlock Africa's trading potential, citing that the continent has a sixth of the world's population but accounts for just 4% of global containerised shipping volumes because of insufficient port capacity. They also said the first three expansions would transform the respective countries' economies.

Global Construction Review reported that the nearly $1bn earmarked for the expanded Port of Dakar would be Senegal's largest ever onshore foreign direct investment. By 2035, the expanded port is forecast to enable trade equivalent to 18% of Senegal's GDP and 36% of its national trade. For Berbera, the new port is forecast to enable trade equivalent to 27% of Somaliland's GDP by 2035 and 75% of its total trade, providing a maritime gateway for neighbouring Ethiopia. In Sokhna, the investment would enhance Egypt's trade with Asia and the Middle East, enabling trade equivalent to 17% of Egypt's GDP and 19% of its national trade by 2035. The parties also claimed that some 5 million jobs would be supported by the expansion of these ports.

DP World chief executive Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said the partnership "will create transformational opportunities for millions of people over the next decade", as reported by Global Construction Review.

The article noted that the transaction was subject to final regulatory approvals. It does not establish what has happened at the three ports since its publication, nor does it provide a breakdown of the existing stakes DP World was to contribute or their valuation.

## Questions

### Which ports are included in the initial investment?

The first investments are planned for the ports of Dakar (Senegal), Sokhna (Egypt) and Berbera (Somaliland), according to Global Construction Review.

### What is the timeline for this investment?

The parties said they will invest $1.72bn in the next several years, but no specific timeline for the individual port works was given in the report.

## Sources

- [UK and DP World to invest $1.72bn in African ports](https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/uk-and-dp-world-to-invest-1-72bn-in-african-ports/) — Global Construction Review, 2021-10-13