DP World is deepening its stake in Kenya. The Dubai based ports and logistics giant has signed an agreement with GulfCap Africa to build a Special Economic Zone just outside Mombasa, betting that manufacturers and traders will pay for space next to East Africa’s busiest seaport.
The Mombasa Industrial Park will cover 222 hectares, sitting less than 20 kilometres from the Port of Mombasa. Construction will roll out in phases, starting with a 40 hectare first stage. GulfCap Africa, the Kenyan investment and development firm behind the project alongside DP World, was founded by businessman and politician Suleiman Shahbal.
Neither company has disclosed the investment value or a construction timeline. The deal also remains subject to conditions precedent and the completion of formal signing documents, meaning ground has not yet broken.
Why DP World Wants a Foothold Here
For DP World, this is not a first date. The company already runs cargo terminals, marine services and free zones across dozens of countries, and Kenya sits high on its priority list.
Yuvraj Narayan, Group CEO of DP World, framed the project as core strategy rather than a side bet. “Kenya is an important market for DP World and a key gateway for trade across East Africa,” Narayan said. “The development of Mombasa Industrial Park reflects our commitment to investing in integrated trade infrastructure that connects ports, logistics and industrial ecosystems.”
Mohammed Akoojee, DP World’s CEO and Managing Director for Africa, pointed to the jobs angle. He said the park would strengthen regional trade and supply chain links while creating thousands of employment opportunities and pulling in fresh investment for Kenya’s economy.
A Second Attempt at Mombasa
DP World’s push into Mombasa has history behind it. In 2023, the company came close to securing a concession to operate four berths and a one million TEU terminal at the port. A community court challenge stopped that deal before it closed. The dispute was settled in 2024, and Kenya reopened the concession process in 2025, drawing interest from Japanese and Chinese financiers. DP World has not publicly rejoined that bid.
Building an industrial park next door gives the company a foothold in Mombasa’s trade corridor regardless of how the berth concession plays out. It also fits a pattern DP World has used elsewhere: pairing port access with economic zones that let goods move from ship to factory floor to shelf without long detours.
The timing lines up with warmer ties between the two countries. The UAE and Kenya signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in January 2025, aimed at expanding trade and investment between them.
Mombasa Port’s Ksh 19 Billion Berth Takes Shape as Cargo Volumes Keep Climbing
What It Could Mean for Kenya
If the park gets built, Mombasa could shift from a pass through point for cargo to a place where goods actually get made. Businesses would gain space for manufacturing, warehousing and distribution close enough to the port to cut transport costs and delays, giving them faster access to both regional and international markets.
That shift matters for a country trying to capture more value from the cargo already crossing its docks. Right now, much of what arrives at Mombasa moves onward with little processing done on Kenyan soil. An industrial park built for manufacturing and distribution could change that math, though the scale of the payoff depends on financing details and a construction timeline that DP World has yet to release.
For now, the agreement marks intent more than infrastructure. Whether it becomes shovels in the ground depends on the conditions still to be met and the formal signing still to come.
