Dubai’s DP World Lifts Dar es Salaam Cargo

TANZANIA · PORTS AND TRADE

DP World says cargo through its Dar es Salaam terminal rose sharply in 2026 compared with 2025. The port is a sea gateway for several landlocked neighbours, so its speed matters for regional trade.

DP World, the Dubai-based port operator, says its Dar es Salaam terminal handled 418,826 container units from January to October 2026. That is about 63% more than the 256,328 handled in the same months of 2025.

The figures come from a DP World statement dated Friday 6 November that we could not read in full, so they are reported, not confirmed. A TEU, or twenty-foot equivalent unit, is the standard measure of container volume and equals one small shipping container.

For US readers, Dar es Salaam competes with Mombasa in Kenya as a trade hub for East Africa. That competition affects how fast and how cheaply goods reach the region’s markets.

What DP World Reports

DP World also reports 271,443 roll-on/roll-off units in the first ten months, meaning vehicles driven on and off ships, against 175,122 a year earlier. It says October set records of 37,652 such units and 508,556 tonnes of dry bulk, meaning loose cargo carried without containers.

Dry bulk reached about 3.39 million tonnes over ten months, up from 3.13 million, and general cargo, meaning goods shipped in boxes, bags or crates, reached about 2.08 million tonnes, up from 1.94 million. The statement adds that DP World has invested US$175 million in its Terminal 1, a multi-purpose terminal, so far.

What the Concession Gives DP World

DP World began operating at the port in April 2024 under a 30-year concession, meaning a long-term contract to run part of the port. Its own account says it has since cut discharge time for comparable cargo from more than 300 hours to under 28.

When the deal was announced in 2023, the company said it would invest more than US$250 million in upgrades, a figure that could rise toward US$1 billion over the concession. DP World also says the longest vehicle carrier ever to call at the port, the 240-metre motor vessel Ramhan, arrived in the first quarter and can carry up to 7,790 vehicles.

What It Means for You

Importers and shipping firms serving East and Central Africa may see shorter waits at Dar es Salaam if the reported gains hold. Investors should look for data from the Tanzania Ports Authority, the Tanzanian government body that signed the concession, before treating a company statement as a trend.

What Is Not Known

The statement does not say how much of the growth is new trade rather than cargo moved from other terminals or ports. The Tanzania Ports Authority can supply independent monthly data.

We have not seen the 6 November statement itself, only an account of it. DP World’s corporate affairs office can confirm the figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who operates the main container terminal at Dar es Salaam?

DP World, a Dubai-based port company, has operated a terminal there since April 2024 under a 30-year concession from the Tanzania Ports Authority. The port itself remains Tanzanian.

What is a TEU?

A TEU is a twenty-foot equivalent unit, the standard measure of container volume. One TEU equals one small shipping container.

More: Tanzania news and Africa news in English. Related: DP World in Mombasa and Tanzania’s railway financing.

Sources: DP World, DP World drives record efficiency and vessel performance at Dar es Salaam port, 2026 (read 8 November); DP World, statement on the October 2026 cargo-handling trend at Dar es Salaam, 6 November 2026 (relayed, not read in full); DP World, statement on the Dar es Salaam concession award, 2023.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error