ANTWERP: March 02, 2018. The Port of Antwerp has agreed to support the Port of Dakar, Senegal develop its new 'Port Du Futur' that will accommodate the world's largest containerships and include an economic and logistics zone of 600 hectares.

Dakar has an annual freight volume of 17 million tonnes and one of the few West African ports able to handle ships of any size. In 2007 DP World signed a 25-year concession to operate and maintain the current container terminal.

"We will make use of our experience and expertise to help Dakar realize its ambitions," commented Kristof Waterschoot, CEO of two Antwerp Port Authority subsidiaries PAI and APEC. "Our consultancy subsidiary PAI will assist the port authority with the necessary expertise for developing a multipurpose terminal and deepening the approach channels so as to maximize the capacity of the port," he added.

The MoU between the two ports also includes commitments for joint marketing, trade relations, and information exchange of Customs procedures, security and sustainability for the next five years.

According to the World Bank, greater competitiveness, structural reform progress and a favorable external environment has made Senegal one of the best performing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa with average growth of 6.5 percent in the past two years.

Almost three quarters of its 2015/16 growth is due to a 15 percent and 13 percent rise in exports in 2015 and 2016 respectively,

Last year DP World Group chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem met with Senegalese president Macky Sall to confirm a development plan for Port Du Futur with construction to begin before the end of 2018.

(Pictured: Signing the MoU this week were Aboubacar Sedikh Beye for the Port Autonome de Dakar, and Kristof Waterschoot, CEO of two Antwerp Port Authority subsidiaries PAI and APEC. The ceremony was attended by Belgian first minister Charles Michel (center) and deputy first minister and minister of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo,)