Cma Cgm is turning its attention to the southern Mediterranean, with a focus on ports that have until now been considered peripheral, located in Algeria, Lebanon and Syria. The most significant project is in Algeria and was reaffirmed following a meeting on 2 June 2025 between the country’s president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and the company’s CEO Rodolphe Saadé. The pair discussed various projects to develop logistics in Algeria, with an investment that could reach two billion euros.
Particular attention is being given to the port of Oran, which Cma Cgm aims to transform into its regional hub in the southern Mediterranean. The plan includes the full modernisation and management of the container terminal at the Algerian port, along with the launch of a maritime route between Marseille and Oran operated by La Méridionale, a ro-ro company owned by the French group. These investments could generate more than 2,000 direct jobs, according to local sources, with a planned port capacity of over one million TEUs.
Cma Cgm is already active in nine Algerian ports, including Algiers, Annaba, Béjaïa, Skikda and Ghazaouet, and now aims to take full control of a strategic terminal. However, the project has been delayed by diplomatic tensions between France and Algeria. Originally scheduled for April 2025, Saadé’s visit to Algeria was postponed due to a deterioration in bilateral relations following the arrest of an Algerian consular official in France on suspicion of involvement in a kidnapping. The resumption of negotiations in June 2025 thus marks an important reconciliation between business and diplomacy, despite the ongoing strain between the two countries.
Cma Cgm is also moving forward in Syria following the departure of Bashar al-Assad. On 1 May 2025, the company signed an agreement with the new government to modernise and manage the port of Latakia, the country’s main maritime hub, for a thirty-year period. The planned investment amounts to 230 million euros, making it the first investment contract with a multinational since the regime's collapse in December 2024. The agreement was signed in the presence of interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, signalling a normalisation of Syria’s political situation.
The Latakia development includes the construction of a new quay 1.5 kilometres long and 17 metres deep, allowing access for large container ships that are currently unable to dock at the port. The Syrian government will hold a 60% stake, with Cma Cgm owning the remaining 40%, subject to percentage adjustments based on container volume growth. The investment will be phased, with 30 million euros in the first year for maintenance and upgrading of existing equipment, followed by 200 million euros over the next four years for the port’s expansion.
Cma Cgm is also investing in Lebanon, at the port of Beirut, where it was awarded a ten-year concession in March 2022 to manage the container terminal, which was severely damaged by the August 2020 explosion. The French company plans to invest 33 million dollars in Beirut to fully refurbish the infrastructure. Relations with the country are eased by the fact that the Saadé family, which owns Cma Cgm, has Lebanese roots.
The company’s goal is to increase current capacity from 650,000 TEUs to 1.4 million TEUs. The project includes the rehabilitation and replacement of port equipment, the construction of a new technical facility for maintenance and spare parts storage, the digital transformation of the terminal and improvements in environmental performance. Today, Cma Cgm vessels handle 55% of the terminal’s container traffic, with nine weekly calls.
Cma Cgm is facing significant geopolitical risks in investing in Lebanon and Syria, both of which are in unstable regions prone to conflict and subject to sanctions, as well as in Algeria, where diplomatic tensions with France persist. But the opportunities are substantial. Algeria is a gateway to West Africa and lies on intercontinental routes between the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar. Syria is preparing for reconstruction after years of war, while Lebanon remains a vital gateway to the Middle East.
