By Allan Olingo

More by this Author

Djibouti on Thursday opened the third of four ports designed to boost the country’s ability to serve as a trade hub for the region.

It hopes to use the $64 million facility as a key terminal for the export of salt from Lake Assal.

Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority (DPZA) said the Port of Ghoubet would be able to handle ships up to 100,000 deadweight tonnes, with the capacity to export over five million tonnes of salt a year. The country handles about 95 per cent of the inbound trade for neighbouring Ethiopia, which has a population of 99 million.

“The new port of Ghoubet represents yet another example of the advanced infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities that are establishing Djibouti as a major logistics platform for Africa. It is also a vital step for our country’s economic diversification, creating opportunities for the export of Djiboutian salt throughout the world,” Aboubaker Omar Hadi, chairman of the DPFZA said.

Last week, the ports authority opened another port — Tadjourah — that it intends to use to export potash, which is used to make fertiliser.

Tadjourah was built at a cost of $90 million and has an annual the capacity to handle four million tonnes of potash. The previous month, it had launched the Doraleh Multipurpose Port, which has capacity to handle eight million tonnes a year.

“The projects are part of government’s efforts to develop critical infrastructure in the north, including the redevelopment of regional highways,” Mr Hadi said.

As part of its infrastructure development, Djibouti launched a $327 million cross-border project last week for the supply of drinking water from Ethiopia.