Transport & Logistics

Situated on the Horn of Africa at the entrance of the Red Sea on the strait of Bab el Mandeb and overlooking routes linking Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Djibouti aims to further leverage its unique location among important routes of commerce to become an international trade hub. The country is investing in new transport infrastructure, developing ports and airports, extending road networks and easing cargo traffic with neighbouring Ethiopia through a railway connection inaugurated in January 2018. At the same time, increasingly modern facilities are removing bottlenecks and improving Djibouti’s position as a gateway for other landlocked countries in the region. However, maintaining momentum and, more broadly speaking, the economy’s positive performance will also require the diversification of economic partners. This chapter contains an interview with Aboubaker Omar Hadi, Chairman, Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority.