Dubai's DP World to build shipping hub outside Bamako, Mali

Dubai-based port operator DP World says it has signed a deal with Mali to build a 1,000-hectare, or 2,470-acre, large logistics hub outside of Bamako.

The global port operator, majority owned by the Dubai government in the United Arab Emirates, said on Wednesday the first phase of the project would include a $50 million container depot and container freight station.

Construction is to start in 2019 and take 18 months.

DP World says it'll also provide Mali with three locomotive trains to boost cargo and passenger traffic along the Bamako-Dakar railroad.

It says it's been granted a 20-year concession with an automatic 20-year extension to operate the facility.

The firm, which operates terminals in some 40 countries, says the hub will significantly reduce processing times for goods for local markets.