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Port of Djibouti 3,500 years trading by the sea

Port of Djibouti links Europe, the Far East, and Africa.

The Port of Djibouti is at the crossroads of three continents linking Europe, the Far East, and Africa.

The African country Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry to create long-term growth and development. Djibouti's location is the main economic asset of a country that with very few natural resources, farmland, sparse rainfall and water supply. The Port of Djibouti much dependent on transit taxes and harbor fees earns the majority of earned capital for Djibouti.

Port of Djibouti
Port of Djibouti

Port of Djibouti 3,500 years trading by the sea.

The Port of Djibouti is a major port in Djibouti City, the capital of Djibouti and is located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Port of Djibouti is also at the crossroad of three continents linking Europe, the Far East, and Africa.

This major deep-water port located on the Red Sea one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. General cargo, container and gate operations are available 24 hours a day, throughout the year as well as the Port Fire Brigade or Centre de Secours.

Also, the Port of Djibouti is home to the United States’ only military base in sub-Saharan Africa. Saad Omar Guelleh is the current general manager of the Port of Djibouti and brother of Djibouti's current president Ismaïl OmarGuelleh.

DP World managed the port from 2000-2010. Since 2011, the Government of Djibouti manages Djibouti Port and DP World manages the Doraleh Container Terminal. Djibouti's first modern container terminal began operations in February 1985 on 54 acres. In 2013 the Doraleh Container Terminal (DCT) containerized cargo traffic handled a total of 743,793 TEUs.

The Port of Djibouti handled 50,938 TEUs. TEUs are the standard-size twenty-foot containers. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographical site at the intersection of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and serves as an important shipping portal for goods coming in and leaving the east African highlands and transshipments between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. 

Port of Djibouti is also close to the Arabian oilfields. Djibouti’s 2013 1.456 billion dollar economy according to the World Bank, is dependent on foreign financing, foreign direct investments, foreign countries’ military bases, and port services.

Nearly 75% of Djibouti's 872,900 inhabitants live in the capital city Djibouti City. The country has a staggering unemployment rate of nearly 60% and most food must be imported into Djibouti. Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry to create long-term growth and development.

Djibouti's location is the main economic asset of a country that is mostly desolate with very few natural resources, farmland, sparse rainfall, and water supply. Djibouti Port handles all of Ethiopia’s import and export traffic through the sea since 1998 in a signed agreement.

Its transport facilities are used by several landlocked African countries to fly in their goods for re-export. This earns Djibouti much-needed transit taxes and harbor fees. The Obock Territory (currently Djibouti) became a French colony in 1843.

The Port of Djibouti construction began in 1897 and completed in 1888. During this time, Leonce Lagarde, was appointed French colonial governor of Obock Territory, the name given to present-day Djibouti. Lagarde was the French colonial Governor for fifteen years, from 1884 to 1899; Djibouti became the capital of the French colony in 1892 and independent in 1977.

Did you know, The Port of Djibouti is also close to the Arabian oilfields.


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