DP World will stay at the Port of Luanda until 2051. The company just secured a ten-year extension to its concession for the multipurpose container terminal. Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported the deal. The original 20-year concession started in January 2021. That agreement marked a turning point for economic ties between the UAE and Angola. Now, DP World has promised another $90 million. The money will go to bigger infrastructure, more capacity, and keeping Luanda as a main trade gateway in Central Africa.
DP World took over the terminal in March 2021. Since then, it has spent more than $260 million on upgrades and modernization. That's well above the $190 million it first pledged. The results are clear. In five years, annual throughput of standard 20-foot containers nearly doubled. The number jumped from 177,000 to over 350,000 units. The handling yard grew by 28,000 square meters. DP World now has eight mobile cranes after buying two more this year. The number of refrigerated container connection points rose from 630 to 700. The terminal's role in regional trade keeps growing. These changes fit with the UAE's push for new trade corridors, as set out in the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. Ongoing regulatory reforms from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) support this strategy.
Expansion will change Luanda's logistics
The new investment will stretch the terminal's quay by 222 meters. It will add 10 hectares of operational space. The design capacity will rise to 1.2 million standard containers (TEU). The technical side is getting a boost too. Three ship-to-shore gantry cranes and 12 semi-automated rubber-tyred gantry cranes are on the way. The terminal will be able to handle two Post-Panamax class vessels at once. That's a big leap. Luanda is set to become a central hub for container traffic in sub-Saharan Africa. WAM state news agency reports say these upgrades should make operations faster and cut vessel turnaround times.
DP World's top brass see the stakes. Mohamed Akoojee, CEO and Managing Director for Africa at DP World, called the expansion a key moment for Angola and the region. Bigger ships will mean new shipping services. The terminal could become a main gateway for West and Central African countries. The investment will make trade flows more reliable and efficient. Angola's place in DP World's network will get stronger. The project is also part of Angola's plan to build up its transport and logistics hub. It targets trade from Southern and Central Africa, according to Africa Monitoring.
Economic impact and regional goals
For Luanda, this is more than just new cranes and space. The expansion aims to draw foreign investment, create jobs, and help Angolan exports compete. Paco Pinzon, CEO of DP World Luanda, said the extension to 2051 shows the company's long-term commitment. DP World wants to anchor Angola's push to diversify its economy and become a top logistics center in Africa. The terminal's growth should help the whole logistics chain, from factories to exporters. It also fits with the UAE's Vision 2031 for global economic partnerships.
DP World is betting big on Africa. The Luanda terminal's overhaul is a clear example of steady investment and scaling up operations. This mirrors international expansion strategies in other sectors. Dubai Times reported earlier on similar long-term moves in the jewelry industry. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has pointed out how important foreign direct investment is for the country's economic plans abroad.
DP World's new deal in Luanda is more than just a contract extension. It's a bet on Africa's trade future. The company is putting its money into infrastructure, technology, and scale. That sets a new standard for logistics investment in the region. The message is simple. In Africa's race for trade gateways, only those ready to invest for decades will shape what comes next.
