The UAE is scrambling to control ports in Africa
But it faces rivals from Qatar to China
IT SEEMED an irrational decision 20 years ago. DP World is one of the world’s largest maritime firms. From a squat office overlooking Dubai’s bustling Jebel Ali port, it directs operations in 40 countries. Most are in busy shipping hubs such as London and Rotterdam. But in the 1990s it started making surprisingly big investments in the Horn of Africa. It built a large port in Djibouti, and is now working on another in Somaliland (see map). The combined GDP of the two African entities is smaller than that of Moldova. Yet the firm sees the region as a land of opportunity.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Ports in the Horn”
Middle East & Africa July 21st 2018
- The UAE is scrambling to control ports in Africa
- Djibouti risks dependence on Chinese largesse
- Turkey struggles to keep the peace in Afrin
- Why Morocco is cosying up to sub-Saharan Africa
- Nigeria has a high fertility rate. Why are infertility clinics booming?
- Mauritania ignores slavery, but jails those who protest against it
From the July 21st 2018 edition
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