Dubai-headquartered ports and logistics firm DP World has inked a deal to develop an industrial park on the Kenyan coast, signalling plans to diversify into light manufacturing, warehousing and regional supply chains.
The global ports and logistics giant has agreed with GulfCap Africa, an investment and development firm owned by Kenyan businessman and politician Suleiman Shahbal, to develop Mombasa Industrial Park on a 222-hectare Special Economic Zone.
The industrial infrastructure development, to be located less than 20 kilometres from the Port of Mombasa, will be implemented in phases, with the first 40 hectares earmarked for initial construction.
The company did not disclose the value of the investment or provide a construction timeline, and the agreement remains subject to the fulfilment of conditions precedent and completion of formal documentation.
Sources familiar with such an undertaking put the total value of the project in the upwards of $100 million (Sh12.94 billion).
‘Kenya is an important market for DP World and a key gateway for trade across East Africa,’ group CEO Yuvraj Narayan said in a statement.
‘The development of Mombasa Industrial Park reflects our commitment to investing in integrated trade infrastructure that connects ports, logistics and industrial ecosystems.’
The investment expands DP World’s existing presence in Kenya, where it has logistics and market-access operations, positioning it across a broader segment of the trade value chain. DP World already has ties at the Mombasa port where it launched a Port Community System (PCS) in 2025.
The PCS was developed in collaboration with EMEA Port Logistics, and implemented with the Kenya Ports Authority and the government.
While DP World does not operate the Port of Mombasa, the new system enables all port users, both public and private, to benefit from enhanced cargo visibility, improved operational efficiency and faster cargo clearance.
The industrial park will create opportunities for the firm to generate revenue beyond cargo handling and logistics services.
The project reflects a global strategy, where major logistics operators are increasingly combining ports, inland logistics, industrial parks and export processing facilities into integrated commercial ecosystems.
The industrial park could become a manufacturing and distribution platform serving not only Kenya but also neighbouring land-locked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Businesses operating inside the zone would gain proximity to the Port of Mombasa, reducing transport costs and improving access to regional and international shipping routes.
That could make the location a magnet for manufacturers, logistics operators, e-commerce fulfilment centres, food processors, pharmaceutical companies and other export-oriented industries.
DP World said the investment was aimed at creating an environment where businesses could manufacture, distribute and access global markets more efficiently.
Kenya has increasingly sought to convert that transit advantage into domestic manufacturing and value addition by encouraging industries to locate near the port.