Plans for the construction of the Red Sea Port in Sudan, have been announced. The plans were announced by Osama Daoud Abdellatif, a tycoon Sudanese businessman and the chairman of DAL Group. The latter is a private Sudanese conglomerate, the largest private company in the country. It operates across several business sectors including food, engineering and agriculture.
The project for the construction of the Red Sea Port in Sudan will reportedly be carried out by a joint venture between DAL and Abu Dhabi (AD) Ports Group. AD ports are ports, industrial zones and logistics operators based in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The group is owned by ADQ Abu Dhabi Holding Company, one of the region’s largest holding companies.
The project, costing $4 billion, will be situated about 200 kilometres north of Port Sudan. It is expected to be able to handle all types of cargo and also bring competition to Port Sudan, which is the country’s main port. The facility will also have a trade and an industrial zone, which will be modelled after Jebel Ali in Dubai, and a small international airport.
Also Read:Â Sudan railway network to get US$ 643M revamp
UAE to mobilize funds for the Red Sea Port construction in Sudan
The government of the UAE will lead the implementation of the project as part of a new agreement signed with its Sudanese counterpart. According to Daoud, the deal, representing the first major partnership in Port Sudan, is also part of a $6 billion worth investment package.
The package, he said will have a free trade zone fund, a vast agricultural project fund and a $300 million deposit to the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS). The deposit will be the first big deposit to CBoS since the military coup, where the country saw the suspension of many financial aid and investments from western donors.
The deals were agreed upon during El Burhan’s recent visit to the UAE. Sovereignty Council’s Chairman, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, United Arab Emirates president oversaw the agreement.