The global automotive trade map is undergoing a structural transformation driven by nearshoring, the electrification of vehicle fleets and the arrival of Chinese cars in markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Against this backdrop of volatility in supply chains, DP World is accelerating the transformation of its corporate profile: the Dubai-based giant is seeking to move beyond pure port management and establish itself as an integrated logistics operator in the finished-vehicle segment.
The group’s roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) transport network, which has grown from 16 to 22 operational locations worldwide, with plans to enter markets wherever business opportunities arise, reflects a redesign of intercontinental flows. The saturation of the specialized shipping fleet and geopolitical disruptions in the Red Sea have turned intermodal hubs into critical components for ensuring manufacturers’ time-to-market.
Jebel Ali as a redistribution platform for the Atlantic and Africa
The hub of this strategy is located at the Jebel Ali terminal in the United Arab Emirates. The complex handled more than one million vehicles in 2024, driven by the expansion of Asian brands that use Dubai as a transshipment point to emerging markets in West Africa and the Middle East.
Jebel Ali’s facilities have the capacity to process up to one million car-equivalent units (CEUs) and store 27,000 vehicles across multi-level berths. The infrastructure incorporates value-added services such as pre-delivery inspections (PDI), temperature-controlled handling areas for high-voltage batteries and integrated customs solutions. The use of the Cargoes digital platform gives manufacturers real-time visibility to anticipate bottlenecks in space allocation.
Gateways into West Africa and the eastern market
Penetration into developing markets is the second pillar of the expansion. In East Africa, the operational takeover of Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam terminal — a gateway to the continent’s inland transport corridors — has enabled it to handle nearly 100% of the country’s vehicle imports. Optimizing work shifts has increased operational throughput at the site from 15,000 to 27,000 moves per month.
On Europe’s periphery, DP World is channeling the industrial nearshoring trend through investments aimed at connecting the Black Sea basin with Central Europe. The company is investing €130 million in the Romanian port of Constanta and the inland hub of Aiud. The project combines an ro-ro terminal in Constanta with annual capacity for 80,000 vehicles and a multimodal platform that connects maritime traffic directly by rail, reducing dependence on road transport and the carbon footprint of continental distribution.
This rollout also includes the opening of a 25-hectare site at the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, with storage capacity for 7,000 units, aimed at providing automotive brands in Northern Europe with inventory flexibility.
Electrification and data analytics in dock operations
The decarbonization of port-side last-mile logistics has been integrated into the design of the new facilities. At the British port of London Gateway, the company operates electrified berths with gantry cranes and zero-emission automated stackers, while at Jebel Ali it has deployed fleets of heavy-duty electric trucks with Einride for interterminal movements.
Operationally, the implementation of simulation models based on digital twins and artificial intelligence makes it possible to manage the positioning of vehicles in the yard dynamically. This combination of physical infrastructure and data-analysis tools seeks to mitigate congestion-related costs and provide stable logistics alternatives in an environment shaped by the reordering of traditional maritime routes.
The article DP World expands its ro-ro network in West Africa on the back of electric vehicle demand was first published on canarymaritime.com.
