Djibouti (Djibouti)

Djibouti City is Djibouti's principal port, capital and largest city, with urban population around 300,000 and metro over 600,000 (or around half of the country's entire population). As cruise port, Djibouti is visited mainly by smaller-sized luxury ships, tall-sail ships and superyachts, and, occasionally, by larger liners on Suez Canal transition itineraries (RepositionCruises.com) relocating seasonally between Mediterranean-Europe and Asia-Australia.

Port Djibouti (locode DJJIB) is on Tadjoura Gulf (Horn of Africa/aka Somali Peninsula, Indian Ocean). Being at the crossroads of the world's busiest shipping trade routes (interlinking Europe-East Asia-East Africa-Arabian Gulf), the Port's strategic position makes it a preferable transshipment hub and bunkering/refueling stop. However, as to imports/exports, Port Djibouti serves mainly the shipping traffic with Ethiopia, which effectively makes it also Ethiopia's principal seaport.

The Port is managed by DPFZA (Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority) and by daily handled ships (~2500) is ranked one of the largest and busiest in the region. Doraleh Container Terminal (operated under concession by China Merchants Ports Holdings since 2012) is a US$396 million facility that can accommodate the world's largest boxships and annual containerized cargo capacity 1,5 million TEU-containers.

The Djibouti-Ethiopia trade is approx 70% of the Port's cargo traffic and approx 95% of Ethiopia's total foreign trade. The nearby Port Doraleh (approx 5 km / 3 mi to the west from Djibouti City) has a direct railroad link to Ethiopia via the 2018-opened Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway.

At Port Djibouti's extension Port Doraleh are handled oil tankers, container ships, bulk cargo carriers, livestock carriers. The Chinese naval base (adjacent to Port Doraleh) was opened in 2017 as its first overseas military base.

• The 2021-opened Doraleh Livestock Terminal is a partnership with Ethiopia and has annual capacity 2,5 million animals and daily capacity 1000 camels, 500 cattle, 4270 goats/sheep.
• The 2009-opened Doraleh Container Terminal is operated under concession by DP World (Dubai) and has annual capacity 1,25 million TEUs.
• The Doraleh Petroleum Terminal (adjacent to the Container Terminal) is operated by ENOC (Emirates National Oil Company) and managed by Horizon Djibouti Terminal Ltd. This is Djibouti's largest employer and largest revenue source. The Oil Terminal was recently expanded (now has storage capacity 470,000 m3) and can accommodate tankers with max-draft 20 m (66 ft).

Port Djibouti's location on the Aden Gulf also makes it a strategic military/navy port. It houses five naval bases (rented by China, France, Japan, Italy, USA) and annually earns in rents ~USD 125 million. From here the US Navy deploys combat vessels to fight Somali piracy in the region. In Port Djibouti, the French Navy has 5000 troops, making it France's largest overseas military base. Japan's Djibouti Base is its only foreign military base.

Djibouti-Ambouli Airport is an international airport (used by both commercial and military aircraft) that connects the city to Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa), Somalia (Mogadishu, Bosaso), Somaliland (Hargeisa), Kenya (Nairobi), Yemen (Aden), UAE (Dubai), Saudi Arabia (Jeddah), Qatar (Doha), Turkey (Istanbul). Cargo flights link to Ethiopia (Addis Ababa), Somalia (Mogadishu), Somaliland (Hargeisa), as well as to China (Nanjing).

In 2016 was announced the "Djibouti Business District" project as most of the port's operations were already shifted to Port Doraleh. Due to its location near downtown, it was proposed the "old port" to be transformed into an ultra-modern business district with residential zones (for ~30,000 residents), shopping malls, financial buildings, waterfront tourism-related infrastructure, as well as Yacht Marina and a new Cruise Terminal.

The project's total cost was estimated at ~USD 3,5 billion.

The town was founded in 1888 as the capital of the French colony "Cote Francaise des Somalis" (French Somaliland/1883-1967) which was legally succeeded by current-day Djibouti. The country was also known under the name "Territoire Francais des Afars et des Issas" (between 1967-77) being still part of Overseas France (France d'outre-mer) that groups all France-governed territories outside Europe.