A planned city and industrial hub for Angola

Angola

Jaafar Lakkis, general director of Dubai Investments International, talks to The Energy Year about the role and strategic advantages of Angola for the company. Dubai Investments International is a UAE-based investment company developing the Dubai Investments Park Angola, an eco-industrial project in Dande Municipality, Angola.

What is Dubai Investments International, and what does Angola represent for the company?
Dubai Investments began 30 years ago with a bold vision: to create a fully integrated city from scratch in the desert. With the support of Dubai’s leadership, we built Dubai Investments Park on 23 square kilometres of empty land.
In just a decade, 65% of that land was developed with infrastructure, and today, there is no land left to buy. We created a place where people can live, work, study and enjoy leisure all in one zone.
Our goal now is to replicate this successful model internationally. I first proposed the idea of doing something similar in Angola back in 2012. After much analysis, we identified Barra do Dande in Bengo Province as the ideal location. Unlike Viana, which developed without planning, Bengo offers a blank canvas with high future potential.
We paused in 2015 due to the economic crisis but resumed in 2019 with full governmental support. This support comes not from political ties but simply because we are investors with a long-term vision.

What is the projected timeline and investment scale for the project?
The project covers 2,000 hectares [20 square kilometres]. For comparison, Dubai Investments Park has 200,000 people living in it, so this site can become a city on its own. We expect a total investment of around more than USD 1 billion, although that could increase with third-party investments. We build core infrastructure, but clients also invest in their factories, offices and residences. In Dubai, our investment is USD 8 billion.
Three weeks ago, we completed Phase 1A of the development. It includes all infrastructure: roads, electricity and water. We are preparing to start our own steel and glass factories on site, and we are in negotiations to establish a pharmaceuticals plant under Global Pharma, one of the UAE largest medicine manufacturers, which we own.
The design for Phase 1.2, including residential buildings and a golf course with integrated villas, is being finalised and should be ready within a month.
Another important advancement is the agreement with the government to build a direct road from Panguila to our site, reducing travel time to only 25 minutes from central Luanda. Government plans to widen the road to three lanes will further improve access.
Our proximity to major infrastructure – such as Terminal Oceânico, a smelting plant, a Volvo assembly plant and a planned export terminal – positions our development as a future logistics and industrial hub.

What strategic advantages does Angola offer, including in regional terms?
Angola is increasingly becoming a regional manufacturing and logistics hub. The market in the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] is huge, with over 100 million people, but the logistics challenges there are significant. By contrast, Angola offers easier access and better infrastructure.
We are already in touch with several Congolese industrial companies interested in relocating to Angola. Many heavy industries now entering Angola due to the DRC’s logistical bottlenecks require comprehensive support: residences, schools and hospitals. Our city concept addresses these needs.
Additionally, we are speaking with Nigerian companies, such as Oando, that want to establish operations here. Many firms do not want to invest capital in infrastructure; we can build and lease facilities, including offices and warehouses, for 10-15 years. This model makes our offering even more attractive to investors and clients.

What level of interest have you seen from investors?
We are finalising agreements with companies both in and outside Angola. Two weeks ago, we began selling residential units, and demand has been strong. There is also negotiation ongoing with major companies regarding the free-zone terminal, which will handle much of Angola’s future industrial exports.
The Port of Águas Profundas is nearby, and while construction has not yet begun, the plans are complete. It will be located just 13-15 kilometres from our site. Combined with railway links between Luanda and Kinshasa, this is shaping up to be a major regional logistics centre.

How is construction being managed, and what role do local companies play, and how are energy needs being met on site?
As a publicly owned entity with the Government of Dubai as a partner, we are required to issue tenders for all works. For smaller projects, we include medium-sized firms to ensure local participation.
For example, a local Angolan company built the 17.5-kilometre fence around the property. For larger projects, such as Phase 1A, we held a tender that was won by a Chinese company. We are open to all qualified bidders and base our decisions not only on price but on quality and delivery conditions.
We currently have access to 80 MW of hydroelectric power from the nearby Capari plant. This is more than enough for our needs over the next 10 years. Because this energy is clean and the government heavily subsidises costs for industry, we have no need to invest in additional renewable generation for the time being.

What is your message to potential investors looking at Angola?
Dubai Investments started in Dubai with just USD 30 million and is now worth around USD 8 billion. This track record speaks for itself. We bring not only capital but also know-how, safety and quality of life.
What we offer in Angola is not just land or infrastructure but an entire lifestyle ecosystem. Our city will include supermarkets, fuel stations, leisure options and everything a person or business needs to function.
Unlike zones where you can only work, our project is designed for living and thriving. We believe it will become one of the attractive places in Africa where people can live to international standards. Investors coming here are not just buying space. They are buying into the future.
Angola has transformed dramatically since I first arrived in 2002. The attitude towards investors has changed completely. Especially in Bengo, the government is supporting and facilitating us a lot. That kind of support gives us confidence to move forwards.
We are here for the long term. Angola has given us a lot, and now we want to give back by contributing to its development and economic diversification.

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