Dubai-based terminal operator DP World has launched the development of a new edible oil terminal at the Port of Berbera in Somaliland and agreed to a long-term lease for the facility.
The 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 corridor that connects to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
It is planned to have an initial storage capacity of 18,000 tonnes, which should be expanded as demand grows. The terminal will be able to service vessels with a draught of up to 16 m, allowing Berbera Port to handle bulk imports of edible oil for the first time.
“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,” DP World said.
The initial phase of the terminal has been leased on a long-term basis to Mzahim Investment, a subsidiary of UAE-based Essa Al Ghurair Investments (EGI). Mzahim will develop a local packaging plant in Berbera to supply Somaliland and the wider Horn of Africa, which could employ up to 100 people.
Berbera sits alongside one of the world’s busiest sea routes and DP World said it plans to transform it into an integrated maritime, logistics and industrial trade hub to serve the Horn of Africa, a region with a population of more than 140m people.
