Heidob Port: A Neglected Treasure Costing Sudan US$1 Billion Every Year

As I See

Adil El-Baz

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Sudan loses nearly US$1 billion in annual revenue due to the continued closure of Heidob Port—an amount equivalent to almost half of the country’s total exports. We are not a poor nation; rather, our tragedy lies in watching people walk past gold without bending down to pick it up. Across every corner of this country are heartbreaking stories of opportunities squandered and projects that could have spared us the humiliation of dependence. Today, the story is Heidob Port—a story that deserves to be told, yet one that invariably ends with sorrow over a lost opportunity.

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Located about 30 kilometres south of Suakin, Heidob Port is far more than a collection of docks and seawater. It represents a dream that could have transformed Sudan’s economy, yet it has been left to gather dust and fade into obscurity. Imagine towering quays standing today like silent ruins, while thousands of young people from the surrounding communities stare through the locked gates in search of a livelihood. It is an absurd contradiction found only in our country: hunger prevailing beside a warehouse overflowing with wealth.

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The port is the product of a strategic partnership between the Sudan Sea Ports Corporation, which holds a 51% stake, and the China Harbour Engineering Company, which owns the remaining 49%. The project attracted investments estimated at between €81 million and €120 million. Heidob was designed to become Sudan’s first modern, specialised port dedicated to livestock and meat exports. It features world-class infrastructure, including five international-standard berths stretching 241 metres with a depth of 12.5 metres and a handling capacity of up to 30,000 tonnes. The complex also includes a fully integrated veterinary quarantine facility covering approximately 300 acres, equipped with livestock pens capable of accommodating 30,000 animals and a modern water distribution network.

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The vision extended well beyond exports. Heidob was intended to become the nucleus of an integrated economic city. In addition to facilitating livestock exports, the port was envisioned as the foundation for an industrial zone dedicated to meat processing, leather manufacturing, and supporting industries. Such a development would significantly increase the value added to Sudanese exports while generating much-needed foreign exchange. Yet despite being fully prepared for operation since 2019, the port has remained idle, paralysed by land disputes, local grievances, and the absence of a coherent strategic plan for its operation.

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Since its initial inauguration in November 2017, Heidob Port has struggled to enter full service. The uncomfortable truth is that we have become hostage to local conflicts and tribal disputes that no one has seriously attempted to resolve. The principal obstacles include disputes over land ownership that led to the closure of both the port and its veterinary quarantine facility. Local communities also feel excluded from the investment process and have legitimate demands for essential public services—including electricity, healthcare, education—and fair compensation for their land. Equally damaging has been the absence of an institutional solution. What is urgently needed is direct dialogue with tribal leaders, a structured mechanism for fair compensation, and a comprehensive settlement that addresses the conflict permanently rather than relying on temporary security measures.

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Few issues deserve the immediate attention of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and Prime Minister more than bringing this port into operation. Government officials should travel to the site without delay, meet with local residents, explain the developmental benefits of the project, and ensure that the operating company fulfils its social obligations to the surrounding communities. The time to act is now. US$1 billion in annual revenue awaits decisive action. When will those responsible move to revive this vital economic artery? That question continues to echo across the deserted port.

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Keeping Heidob Port closed is not merely an administrative failure—it is a national offence against Sudan’s economy and the future of its coming generations. The country does not need more excuses or empty promises; it needs immediate action to bring the port into service. If the government is unable to operate a single port, how can it hope to manage the nation’s larger ambitions and aspirations? That question will remain lodged in the nation’s conscience until the gates of Heidob are finally opened and the hope of a more prosperous Sudan becomes a reality.