DP World Starts Dredging Work at New Senegal Port

DP World has announced the start of dredging work at its new US$1.2 billion Port of Ndayane in Senegal.

The dredging vessel Willem Van Rubroeck has been deployed at the facility to excavate a five-kilometer-long shipping channel capable of handling the world’s largest container vessels, the Dubai-based global port operator said.

The first phase of the project includes building an 840-meter quay, while the second phase involves further dredging and installing an additional 410-meter quay. The port would help transform the West African nation into a major center for global trade, the company added.

DP World already operates the Port of Dakar, Senegal’s sole container terminal located 50 kilometers north of Ndayane.

“The Port of Ndayane will elevate Senegal and impact trade across the African continent,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and CEO of DP World Group. “We are proud of our achievements with the Port of Dakar, and Ndayane marks the next level – positioning Senegal as a key trade hub for the region. Our plans extend beyond the port. We will develop an economic zone near the port and Blaise Diagne International Airport, which is expected to create even more employment than the port itself.”

DP World signed a concession deal with the Senegalese government in late-2020 to build and operate Ndayane, scrapping earlier plans to build a second container terminal at Dakar.

The operator is working alongside the UK’s development finance institution British International Investment (BII) to deliver the project. The BII has estimated the new port will boost Senegal’s GDP by 3% through increased trade flows.


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