Djibouti as a main maritime passage and a main trading route between East
and West stretches back since 3500 years, the time of explorations of the
Red Sea. A strategic meeting point between two worlds ( Africa and Asia)
the Red Sea was a place of contact and passage used by the Egyptians, the
Phoenicians, the Ptolemaists, the Romans, the Greeks, the Byzantine, the
Arabs, and then by the Europeans in search of the spices route. Its apogee
came with the opening of Suez Canal. The Port of Djibouti is located at
the entrance of the Red Sea, on one of the major sea route of the world
between the Far East, Europe, the Arabian Gulf and Africa. It’s the principal
port of the country, and has a regular liner services with Europe, Asia,
Far East, Arabian Gulf & Indian Ocean. The Port of Djibouti is the
most efficient and the shortest corridor to Ethiopia potential market,
compared to all East Africa Sea Ports were port and customs documentation
are computerized and connected by EDI system, storage, cargo clearance
and transit procedure are efficient and reliable most if not all donated
food aid to Ethiopia are efficiently and promptly handled by private companies.
Since June 2000, the Djibouti Port Authority and Dubai Port Authority signed
an agreement of management concession of the port of Djibouti for 20 years.
The aim of the concession is to provide an efficient and reliable service,
promote the capabilities and resources of the port both regionally and
internationally, and attract more foreign investment to develop modern
intermodals infrastructure facilities and management of the Free Zone.
The Government of Djibouti, in close co-operation with Dubai Port World,
are fully committed to invest the construction of future port in Doraleh
(8km away from the actual port).
Future Port of Doraleh Project:
- An Oil Terminal with storage capacity 240,000m3 has already been finished
and is operational since September 2005.
- The construction of a Container Terminal offering depth -18m with storage yard of 700 000m2 able to accommodate the largest container ships will follow the oil terminal.
- An Industrial and Commercial Free Zone of 600 000 m2 in the first phase.