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The Mayor of London Boris Johnson at DP World London Gateway where he was welcomed by DP World Vice Chairman Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah and London Gateway CEO, Simon Moore Image Credit: Courtesy: DP World

London: Britain’s new deep sea container port is expected to create 27,700 jobs for London and the South East and contribute £2.4 billion to economy, DP Word said in a statement on Wednesday

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, visited DP World London Gateway on Wednesdyay and was received by DP World Vice Chairman Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah and London Gateway CEO, Simon Moore,

The visit comes just weeks after the announcement that Marks & Spencer will build a 900,000 square foot distribution centre on the site, which is just 25 miles from Central London. London Gateway’s logistics park will be Europe’s largest and will see deep-sea cargo sent directly to the market from distribution centres at London Gateway, removing the time and cost associated with movement of goods via inland distribution centres.

The Mayor visited DP World’s Dubai headquarters in April, where he was shown Jebel Ali port and the model for London Gateway, by Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, DP World Chairman and Bin Thaniah.

“London is set to regain its position as one of the world’s greatest ports, and establish itself once again as a gateway to world trade. This gargantuan site will create tens of thousands of jobs in our capital and the South East, while helping to drive continued prosperity for the rest of the UK. DP World’s investment is a huge boost to the economy and a massive vote of confidence in London’s future,” said Johnson.

“London Gateway is a unique development for the UK, bringing DP World’s values of delivering excellent supply chain solutions for our global customers, said Bin Thaniah.

Major retailers have recognised the savings offered through London Gateway’s distinct location advantage, including Marks & Spencer, the first business to announce its use of the logistics park, when Marc Bolland, Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer, said: “As we become an international, multichannel retailer, London Gateway will help us become more efficient by cutting costs and locating our supply chain closer to our stores and our international markets. It will also help us deliver against our Plan A objectives by removing road miles and emissions from our network.”