Red Sea: “Djibouti suffers the crisis, but its ports resist,” says Omar Hadi.
DJIBOUTI, 9 October 2026 (#ADI) – The sea traffic of the ports of Djibouti resists turbulence in the Red Sea and progresses even slightly, said Thursday the president of the Authority of Ports and Free Zones (APZFD), Aboubaker Omar Hadi.
” Our transshipment volume has increased because, quite simply, the large ships are unloading their goods in the ports of Djibouti, the situation being what it is in the Red Sea,” he explained at a press briefing at the International Hotel.
Faced with this “economic situation, which was not foreseen”, Mr. Hadi acknowledged that he had limited room for manoeuvre. “We are not actors in this crisis. We’re going through it,” he let go, while keeping himself from dramatizing. “The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is not that of Ormuz, and we hope that the current crisis will soon be brought to an end,” he added.
Located at the southern entrance of the Red Sea, Djibouti takes advantage of its strategic position, but it has a cost. “Our costs have increased substantially,” he admitted, referring to the increase in fuel prices for handling goods and containers. He also pointed out that the crisis in the Strait of Ormuz increases the operating costs of Djiboutian ports.
The boss of the APZFD said he was “very satisfied” with the visibility offered by the meetings dedicated to the Francophonie, which “recovers Djibouti”. “We are the only French-speaking country in all East Africa,” he recalled.
“We are here for the Francophonie, but also for trade,” he concluded.
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