• AD Ports will invest $380 million over 20 years to modernize the Luanda terminal.

• Emirati port operators are securing key concessions in Africa, challenging European and Chinese dominance.

• DP World has launched a $2.5 billion investment plan in 2025, partly allocated to African projects.

AD Ports Group deepened its African footprint on September 19 by laying the foundation stone of the Noatum Ports Luanda terminal. The Abu Dhabi-based company committed $380 million over 20 years to transform the site into Angola’s most advanced port facility and a logistics hub for Central Africa.

The expansion reflects a broader geopolitical and economic drive by the United Arab Emirates to secure logistics corridors to Africa. The continent combines fast population growth, rising import-export needs, and vast mining and agricultural potential.

The Luanda project highlights the growing role of Emirati port and logistics firms in Africa. These companies are capturing strategic concessions in a market historically dominated by European and Chinese multinationals.

AD Ports has already built a strong presence in Egypt and is advancing projects across the continent. In the Republic of Congo, the group secured a contract to develop a multipurpose terminal in Brazzaville and is planning further investments. It has also announced projects in Tanzania and Angola in recent years.

DP World, another Emirati heavyweight, continues to pursue aggressive expansion in Africa. The company operates terminals in Dakar, Djen Djen, Algiers, and Dar es Salaam. It is also building the port of Ndayane in Senegal and the port of Banana in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In 2025, DP World confirmed the rollout of a $2.5 billion investment plan, channeling part of the funding into its African projects.

This article was initially published in French by Henoc Dossa

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum