Dubai: DP World is looking to develop edible oil terminal at Somaliland’s Port of Berbera, it said on Wednesday. The move will reduce supply chain costs and create vital local jobs. The port and terminal operator has already agreed to a long-term lease for the facility.
The edible oil terminal will be the latest addition to Berbera’s growing trade ecosystem, following the recent opening of the Berbera Economic Zone (BEZ), 15 km from the port along the Berbera to Wajaale road (Berbera Corridor) that connects to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
The terminal will initially have a storage capacity of 18,000 tonnes, which will be expanded as demand grows. “It will be able to service vessels with a draught of up to 16 metres, allowing Berbera Port to handle bulk imports of edible oil for the first time,” DP World said in a statement. “The ability to import oil in bulk and package it locally will make edible oil more affordable for people in the region and create jobs locally.”
“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,” said Suhail Albanna, CEO and Managing Director of DP World Middle East and Africa.
The initial phase of the terminal is already fully leased on a long-term basis to Mzahim Investment, a subsidiary of Essa Al Ghurair Investments (EGI). Mzahim Investment will also develop a local packaging plant in Berbera to supply existing customers in Somaliland and the wider Horn of Africa, which could employ up to 100 people.
