Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority

Today marked the official inauguration of the Djibouti Ship Repair Yard (DSRY), including its floating dock, held under the high patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Ismaïl Omar Guelleh. The ship repair yard was developed through a strategic partnership with Damen Shipyards financed by Invest International from Netherlands with an amount 107.500.000 euros. This major infrastructure project represents a significant milestone for Djibouti’s maritime and industrial development. The Djibouti Ship Repair Yard is the largest facility of its kind in the Red Sea and across East Africa. It features a floating dock measuring 217 meters in length and 43 meters in width, with a lifting capacity of 20,100 tonnes. The complex is designed to service a wide range of vessels, providing both preventive and corrective maintenance, supported by a combination of international and national expertise. Beyond its industrial significance, the project delivers strong economic and social impact, generating approximately 350 direct jobs and 1,400 indirect jobs, while fostering the development of skilled young professionals in high-value technical fields. In his address, the President of the Republic emphasized that: "The DSRY project has always been a national priority, given Djibouti’s strategic location at the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb, one of the busiest maritime passages in the world. This geographic position gives us the responsibility to meet the needs of vessels transiting the region, whether for dry docking or mechanical repairs" Mr. Hassan Houmed, Minister of Infrastructure, highlighted that "the Djibouti Ship Repair Yard constitutes a strategic national asset, serving port competitiveness, the blue economy, and Djibouti’s regional influence." Mr. Aboubaker Omar Hadi, Chairman of Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority underscored "the importance of the project in strengthening Djibouti’s position as a key maritime hub, under the 2035 vision." Mr. Arnout Damen, President of Damen Shipyards, reaffirmed in his speech the company’s commitment to supporting the long-term success and operational excellence of the Djibouti Ship Repair Yard. The inauguration of DSRY marks a new chapter in Djibouti’s ambition to become a leading maritime services center in the region. @omar_hadi @damen @IsmailOguelleh

Thank you so much. This project would not be possible without the support of Invest International. "Dear Mr Hadi, Mrs Farah, Mr Abdi, Captain Abar, We would like to congratulate you (and the extended DSRY team) on the official opening of DSRY. It was a long journey to get to this point, but you made it happen. It is often said that when one journey ends, another one starts. We hope the operational phase will be successful and substantially contribute to strengthen the economy of Djibouti. We regret the fact that the current war situation prevented us from travelling and attending the opening ceremony, but we hope that once a cease fire is achieved, we would be able to plan a visit to Djibouti to congratulate you in person. Congratulations again for this great achievement, on behalf of the Invest International team and management." Kind regards, Decio Tractenberg Senior Investment Manager | Structured Finance @omar_hadi

We are full and feedering cargoes in East Africa and the Red Sea. @omar_hadi

The Second Economic Capital of Djibouti is Dikhil. @omar_hadi

In the first quarter of 2026, the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone (DIFTZ) delivered outstanding results, with core indicators including land sales, land utilization rate and employment promotion achieving leaping growth, marking a robust start for the annual development. It has injected strong impetus into Djibouti's economic and social development and laid a solid foundation for the upgrading of the East African trade and logistics landscape. In terms of core operating indicators, DIFTZ’s land sales exceeded 100,000 square meters in the first three months of 2026, surging year-on-year. As Africa’s largest free trade zone, it has become a key choice for global capital to lay out in East Africa by virtue of its geographical, infrastructure and policy advantages. By March 2026, a total of 513 global enterprises had settled in DIFTZ, a 22% year-on-year increase; the land utilization rate reached 70%, rising 22 percentage points from the same period last year. Chinese enterprises hold 356,000 square meters of long-term leased land, accounting for 36% of DIFTZ’s total. Major Chinese enterprises have settled here, including top engineering equipment manufacturers XCMG, Zoomlion and Sany Heavy Industry, leading heavy-duty truck makers such as China National Heavy Duty Truck Group, and mainstream NEV brands like BYD and Geely that have set up overseas warehouses. DIFTZ is advancing several large investment projects, and it is expected to complete the lease and sale of all land within the year, after which expansion will be officially launched. In employment, DIFTZ has created 3,000 direct and 5,000 indirect jobs for local people by March 2026, easing employment pressure and boosting income, with jobs spread across logistics, processing and business services. The robust growth stems from DIFTZ’s accurate grasp of development opportunities, such as the growing logistics demand from Ethiopia’s infrastructure upgrading, the global NEV industry boom and global supply chain restructuring. It has positioned its development direction precisely, optimized industrial layout and strengthened linkage with the global market. Launched in 2018 by the President of the Republic of Djibouti H.E Ismail Omar Guelleh, DIFTZ has been a new engine for Djibouti’s economic development, aiming to advance economic diversification. Going forward, it will continue to build itself into an East African hub for trade, logistics and export processing, improve infrastructure and business environment, deepen China-Africa cooperation and boost the integration of the East African regional economy. @omar_hadi

Today, Chairman received Ms. Meleket Sahlu, Deputy CEO of Ethiopian Investment Holdings, at Djibouti International Exhibition Center (Red Sea World). Ethiopian Investment Holdings visited and requested a 10-hectare plot of land at Djibouti Damerjog Industrial Park to build a 150 000 cbm fuel storage depot at its first phase, strategically located close to the manifold and the railway to ensure efficient logistics connectivity. Ethiopian Investment Holdings also visited the Damerjog Liquid Bulk Port that provides modern and cost-effective energy logistics solutions, with an oil jetty offering an annual dynamic capacity of 25 million tonnes. Horizon Terminals reached its full capacity of 5 millions tonnes. Chairman encouraged Ethiopian Investment Holdings to seize this investment opportunity at DLBP, highlighting the importance of fuel storage in the context of the ongoing Gulf crisis. @omar_hadi @EIHEthiopia

Today chairman received H.E Ouloufa Ismail Abdo Minister of Social Affairs and Solidarity to hand over 500 solar kits to 500 vulnerable households which the grid have not reached yet. @omar_hadi @MASSDjibouti

Here are more pictures of the meeting: @omar_hadi @MSCCargo

Today, Chairman received Mr. Nicolas Sartini, Senior Vice President for Business Development at Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), at Djibouti International Exhibition Center (Red Sea World). This meeting took place on the preparation of the upcoming meeting between Chairman Aboubaker Omar Hadi and Mr. Diego Aponte President of MSC, to be held at the company’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on March 25th. Discussions focused on increasing transshipment volumes in Djibouti to develop the second  Container Terminal, with a target capacity of up to 5 million TEUs at Doraleh. Ways to mitigate the maritime crisis affecting the trade and supply chain have been discussed. Both parties understand the major role of shipping lines on increasing the transshipment hubs, noting that growth cannot be achieved without the strong engagement of Shipping lines. The meeting was held in the presence of the Harbour Master, Mohamed Moussa Abar, and Mr.Abdillahi Adaweh Sigad, General Manager of the Doraleh Container Terminal. @omar_hadi @MSCCargo

Dikhil city will no longer be divided in two sides. The two riverbanks, will be bridged. @LiveDjib @Info_24_Officie @A_Kamil_Mohamed @IsmailOguelleh

Here are more pictures of the MV/PATARA @omar_hadi @Ilyasdawaleh

Today, a coordination meeting was held under the joint leadership of H.E. Hassan Houmed Ibrahim Minister of Infrastructure and Equipment, and Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of Industry. The meeting gathered Aboubaker Omar Hadi, Chairman of Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority, Robleh Mohamed Barreh, President of the Association of Freight Forwarders of Djibouti, Hoch Said Dawaleh President of the Association of the Djiboutian Road Transporters, Ide Ahmed Mohamed, General Manager of Doraleh Multipurpose Port (DMP) and Abdillahi Adaweh Sigad, General Manager of Société de Gestion du Terminal à Conteneurs de Doraleh (SGTD). The discussions focused on improving the efficiency and fluidity of the Djibouti–Ethiopia Corridor, both by road and rail, with the objective of strengthening coordination across the logistics and supply chain. Was also addressed the current maritime security crisis and the resulting surge of cargo flows toward Djibouti’s ports. Doraleh Multipurpose Port successfully received yesterday the RoRo vessel MV PATARA, diverted due to the current situation affecting maritime operations in the Persian Gulf. The vessel has discharged a total of 2000 vehicles with1,527 units originally bound for Jebel Ali, UAE. The latter will be temporarily handled and stored in Djibouti before being transshipped to Jebel Ali, once conditions in the Gulf normalize. This operation shows the Ports of Djibouti’s capacity to respond rapidly to regional disruptions, providing shipping lines with flexible solutions and maintaining the continuity of global supply chains. By accommodating the diversion of MV PATARA, Djibouti once again confirmed its position as a key strategic logistics and maritime hub at the crossroads of major international trade routes. The meeting concluded with frank and constructive exchanges with members of the freight forwarders and road transport Association. @omar_hadi @Ilyasdawaleh

On this International Women’s Day, Djibouti proudly promotes that true equality is possible. A Nation where women and men with equal qualifications and competencies receive equal opportunities and equal wages. we launched all female marine merchants to travel seven seas. Happy Women's Day! @omar_hadi

Here is a video of the event: @omar_hadi @A_Kamil_Mohamed @PortCorridor

The Rehabilitated urban road network of Dikhil was officially inaugurated today during a ceremony by His Excellency Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, Prime Minister, in the presence of H.E Hassan Houmed Ibrahim, Minister of Infrastructure and Equipment, as well as Mr. Aboubaker Omar Hadi, Chairman of Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority (DPFZA), alongside local authorities, project partners, and representatives of the community. Implemented by DPCR and financed by GHIH, this project fulfills the commitment made by the Government in 2024 and fully aligns with Djibouti Vision 2035. Carried out between August and December 2024, the Roadworks and Utilities (VRD) have been fully completed. Following the inauguration ceremony, Chairman conducted a site visit of the rehabilitated roads to observe the quality of the completed works and assess their tangible impact on mobility, road safety, and the living environment of local communities. This achievement forms part of a broader regional infrastructure modernization effort, including ongoing works on the RN1 highway, which are expected to strengthen territorial connectivity and national logistics performance. In this context, the rehabilitation of the Dikhil bridge, as well as the conversion of the public staircase located behind the Palmeraie Hotel into an access road, are among the planned developments aimed at further improving the urban environment and local mobility. Chairman also emphasized the importance of preserving this infrastructure as a collective asset and ensuring its responsible use to guarantee its long-term durability. This inauguration reflects the Government’s continued commitment to supporting the country’s  economic and social transformation. @omar_hadi @A_Kamil_Mohamed @PortCorridor