The Republic of Mali has signed a 20-year concession with an automatic 20-year extension with DP World to build and operate a 1,000-hectare modern logistics hub outside of Bamako, the capital and largest city of Mali. The multimodal logistics platform, Mali Logistics Hub (MLH), will have inland container depots (ICD) and container freight stations (CFS) that will facilitate the import and export of goods.
The Mali Logistics Hub will be located on the main road corridor from Dakar, Senegal to Bamako and close to the Dakar – Bamako rail line and will be capable of handling 300,000 TEU and four million tonnes of bulk and general cargo.
The first phase of the project, with an estimated initial investment of US$50 million, aims to support the growth of the Malian economy by streamlining the import and export of goods. Construction is expected to start in 2019 and to take approximately 18 months to complete.
DP World will also provide the Republic of Mali with three locomotive trains to boost cargo and passenger traffic along the Bamako-Dakar rail system. The Port of Dakar is operated by DP World.
The logistics hub will reduce processing times for products entering the Malian market as part of efforts to reduce obstacles to trade and economic development. DP World will also implement its online paperless facilitation platform to accelerate the movement of goods as part of the agreement.
"We are excited to partner with DP World on this project," said Republic of Mali Minister of Equipment and Transport Moulaye Ahmed Boubacar. " The Mali Logistics Hub will dramatically improve the cost and time of trade for Mali. The project will provide us with a first-class logistics facility comparable to global standards and will be the largest in terms of capacity."
