Oman Investment Authority (OIA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Zanzibar to explore the feasibility of rehabilitating, developing and operating the tourist port of Malindi. The study will also explore the possible development of the waterfront and the transfer of commercial activities from the current port to the new port of Mangapwani.
The initiative is part of OIA’s vision to diversify its international investment portfolio and support promising investments in strategic sectors.
As part of the MoU, the Authority will also study plans for a new commercial and industrial port project that includes all basic facilities in the Mangapwani suburb of Zanzibar Island, which is about 25 km from the current port of Malindi. The proposed commercial and industrial port will include a jetty for cargo, warehousing and storage facility, and dedicated facilities for the processing and storage of fish for export.
The proposed project will cover an area of 3 million square metre in the first phase, with a further 1.5 million square metres added in the second phase. Total output is projected at 10 million tons per year, with space allocated for light industries as well.
The MoU will also study the redevelopment of the old port of Malindi and its associated facilities. Built in 1920, it currently serves as the main gateway for the handling of imports and exports to and from the island. Its limited facilities include a 240-metre long pier for the handling of cruise ships and passenger ships, and a solitary crane for the handling of cargoes.
By developing a tourist port and passenger terminal on a 10 hectare site, the modernized tourism port will be a vital role in facilitating safe passenger transportation to and from the island in line with maritime safety requirements.
In a statement to ONA, Sami bin Abdullah al Sinani, Senior Director of Logistics and Infrastructure at OIA, said the MoU aims to optimize the beneficial impacts for the Sultanate of Oman from the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), which links a number of ports in Asia and Africa. It will also build on the Sultanate of Oman’s historic relations with East Africa, which is one of the most economically promising areas, and carries investment opportunities that will contribute to the transfer of expertise available to the authority and its subsidiaries.
Last year, the Authority signed an agreement with the Zanzibar Government to study the feasibility of development a multipurpose terminal at Mangapwani port. A firm decision to invest in the project will be taken in June 2022 upon the completion of the study. (With inputs from ONA)
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