The United Arab Emirates' AD Ports has officially signed a deal with the Congolese government for 30 years to manage and run the New East Mole terminal in Pointe Noire.
It was signed by AD Ports' Managing Director and CEO Mohamed Al Shamisi and the Congolese Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Promoting Public-Private Partnerships (DANESSO-ChristEL SNGUESSO) and Secretary of State for Transport (Honore Sayi) for Civil Aviation and Merchant Navy.
This is the second agreement between the two countries, after the first one was signed in March of 2023.
AD Ports declared that it will have the exclusive concession to develop, operate, manage and maintain the new East Mole Port, which will deal with containers, general cargo and break-bulk and other cargo.
The agreement covers a period of 30 years from the signing date and AD Ports has the right to extend the concession for a further 20 years subject to the same conditions.
AD Ports stated that it will invest over $500 million over the concession period, with approximately $220 million set aside for the first phase of the concession, expected to be completed within the next 30 months.
For the duration of the concession agreement, the firm will offer digital services and technological solutions to improve the efficiency of the new facility, including the design, deployment and operation of the single-window facility, software development and digital architecture for the facility, business analytics and digital operations support, as well as digital transformation.
Al Shamisi said, "We expect that this concession agreement will open up new trade and commerce routes between our countries, as well as create new employment opportunities and contribute to the development of the Republic of Congo."
"This concession agreement has great potential and promises for both sides, especially considering the key role of the best performing ports on the Central West Coast of the continent, such as New East Mole port in Pointe noire," Al Shamisi added.
Congo's capital city, Pointe Noire, is a major trading hub and its port is a major factor in the country's economy and growth. Last year, the UAE shipped $137 million worth of goods to the country, with cars making up $35 million of the total.
Meanwhile, in 2021, the country exported goods worth 1.75 billion dollars to the UAE. Refined copper was the top export item, followed by gold at $70 million.
