Via Al Monitor, an article on one Emirati logistics firms efforts to build a deep sea port for Democratic Republic of Congo:

A leading Emirati logistics company began construction of a port in the Democratic Republic of Congo today.

Following a ceremony, the Dubai-based DP World started work on the Banana Port, the first deep sea port in the central African country. The Banana Port will be located on the republic’s Atlantic Ocean coastline, which is only 37 kilometers (23 miles) long. The port “will provide significant cost and time savings that will boost the country’s trade,” DP World said in a press release.

The DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world. The majority of the country lives below the international poverty standard. At the same time, the country is rich in natural resources including cobalt and copper, according to the World Bank.

The chairman and CEO of DP World, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, said Banana Port “will attract more direct calls from larger vessels traveling from Asia and Europe, greatly enhancing the country’s access to international markets and global supply chains.”

There is already a port in Banana, though it appears to not be particularly busy. The ship-tracking website MarineTraffic showed just a handful of tug, cargo and tanker ships in the vicinity today.

The new port will be able to accommodate large ships and will have a 600-meter-long unloading area, according to DP World.