Djibouti has many assets. Our role at the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority is to take advantage of the most important of these: our strategic location and our historic status as a major port in East Africa. 

We are seated at the cross roads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the middle of two of the world’s busiest trade routes.  Thousands of millions of goods travel through the region every year. That’s why, when you visit your local supermarket, pick up your latest outfit or buy a new phone online, chances are that these goods have travelled through an East African port. 

To help these goods flow freely, the Djiboutian government and its partners have invested in building state-of-the-art port and railway facilities. But there is more that we can do. We have the potential to become a global trade hub and a gateway connecting growing African markets with the rest of the world. 

Our ambition is to add value to the goods that pass through our ports. To achieve this goal, we have developed an international free trade zone, set to become the biggest in Africa. The government has also implemented ambitious reforms to attract investors, and growing tourist infrastructure is making our country an ideal destination for business or pleasure. 

The results so far show year-on-year growth for Djibouti and investors hailing from Asia, Europe and across Africa have already set up base here. 

To those thinking of joining them, I say “Welcome.” I look forward to seeing you in Djibouti. 

Aboubaker Omar Hadi, 
Chairman of DPFZA