According to DAL group chairman Osama Daoud Abdellatif, a partner in the deal, the United Arab Emirates would build a new Red Sea port in Sudan as part of a $6 billion investment package.
The package, according to Abdellatif, includes a free trade zone, a huge agricultural project, and a $300 million deposit to Sudan’s central bank, which would be the first since a military takeover in October.
Following the coup, Western donors withdrew billions in aid and investment from Sudan, further destabilising an already troubled economy and depriving the government of much-needed foreign money.
On Wednesday, Ibrahim told Reuters that a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the UAE for a port and agricultural project, but no specifics had been released.
A request for comment on the deal’s specifics was not returned by the finance ministry.
The $4 billion port, which is a joint venture between DAL Group and Abu Dhabi Ports, which is managed by Abu Dhabi’s holding firm ADQ, would be able to handle a wide range of commodities and compete with the country’s primary national port, Port Sudan, according to Abdellatif.
He said it would be located around 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Port Sudan and would include a free trade and industrial zone modelled after Dubai’s Jebel Ali, as well as a modest international airport. According to him, the project is in the ‘advanced stages,’ with research and drawings completed.
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