- Our History -
166 years of entrepreneurship and growth
The New Mauritius Dock and Albion Dock played a strategic role in the development of Mauritius.
The Mauritius Docks was created in 1857 and the Albion Dock in 1860. In 1858, there was a peak number of 852 ships that were recorded as having entered the port, and that is when the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate decided to extend the quays as they had to make provision to accommodate ships as the harbor of Port Louis was recognized as an important stopover for ships traveling between Europe and the East Indies.
The port of Port Louis played a pivotal role in facilitating trade and refuelling for ships traversing the Indian Ocean. In 1876, The Mauritius Dock was rebranded as the New Mauritius Dock, and the company was given the task of handling and storing bagged sugar as well as general cargo in the warehouses that they owned. This task was assigned to them by The Mauritius Sugar Syndicate. This clearly shows that the New Mauritius Dock and Albion Dock played a strategic role in the development of Mauritius.
The New Mauritius Docks were originally established during the colonial period to support maritime trade and shipping activities. Over the years, it has undergone modernization and expansion to meet the growing demands of international trade. In the year 1950, there was a stoppage in business which occurred as certain dockers refused to handle bags of sugar which weighted more than 100Kg on the ground as they were too heavy and to remediate this situation, The Docks companies therefore requested Sugar Estate not to load consignments more than 100Kg. In 1973, Albion Docks and the New Mauritius Docks merged to form Société United Docks.
From 1973 to 1980, Société United Docks continued with the loading, unloading, and storage of bagged sugar and general cargo. The Bulk Sugar Terminal came into operation in the year 1980, and Société United Docks stopped the storage of sugar as this task was passed on to the Bulk Sugar Terminal. However, from 1980 to 1983, Société United Docks was responsible for the storage of general cargo only.
The Cargo Handling Corporation Ltd. was created in 1983, and this caused a drop in the business that Société United Docks was carrying out, which was the storage of general cargo. Thus, the docks company had to change their business model, and therefore, from 1983 to 1991, Société United Docks started to rent their warehouses and offices to companies. United Docks was incorporated on October 1st, 1991, and took possession of all the assets of Société United Docks.
Another main turning point that took place in 1991 was that United Docks was listed on the official market of the Stock Exchange of Mauritius. From 1991 to 2014, the main mode of business of United Docks was mainly investment and finance.
From the year 2015 up to the present, United Docks has shifted more to being a real estate company. United Docks has made significant progress throughout the years. We have created several projects, like The Docks, a new business district in the capital city of Mauritius. The Docks project is split into four phases, and two phases have already been completed. It is estimated to have a GBA of 200,000 sq m and will be the working place for some 15,000 professionals.
The second main project that has been created is Park and Ride by United Docks, which is the first and biggest Park and Ride facility in Mauritius in Port Louis and consists of more than 700 parking bays. This facility is eco-friendly and contributes to reducing CO2 emissions in Port Louis by 200 tons annually. The third project is Marina Garden, a cozy restaurant in a tropical garden in The Docks. The fourth and fifth projects are
Les Suites and Le Workspace. Les Suites is the corporate event venue of The Docks, which is spread over 1300 sq m. There are 8 suites that can accommodate up to 400 people for events, conferences, trainings, cocktails, and private dinners.
Le Workspace is the biggest plug-and-play flexible office facility in Mauritius, spread over 2000 sq m. With its modern lounges, coffee corners, and lobbies, Le Workspace provides the right conducive environment for co-working, networking, and collaboration. In addition to these new infrastructures and development, there are many more projects that have been planned for the coming years.
Transformation of Port Louis throughout the years
