Technological investment and employment: the Minister of Labour exchanges with the company leaders LinkWise, specialized in artificial intelligence, on opportunities for Djibouti’s youth.
DJIBOUTI, 14 October 2026 (#ADI) – The Minister of Labour, in charge of Formalization and Social Protection, Mr. Yonis Ali Guedi, has received from the Director of Commerce and the Chief Operating Officer of LinkWise, a company specializing in artificial intelligence, in order to examine the company’s investment prospects in Djibouti and the expected impact on job creation, skills development and technology transfer.
In particular, trade focused on the prospects for the development of computing infrastructures dedicated to artificial intelligence, an expanding sector that opens up new opportunities for economic diversification and the creation of skilled jobs.
This initiative could help strengthen Djibouti’s attractiveness for technology investments and position the country as an emerging player in the regional digital economy.
The creation of jobs and the integration of young people into employment have been central to the discussions. According to the projected objectives for the development of the envisaged infrastructure, the construction phase could involve approximately 2,000 local jobs, including in civil engineering, electrical installations, development work, logistics, security and technical services.
In the long run, the operating phase could gradually generate between 500 and 700 skilled jobs in areas such as computer engineering, artificial intelligence, data processing, equipment maintenance, telecommunications networks and digital infrastructure management.
These estimates will have to be clarified and confirmed in the context of the studies and the timetable for carrying out the investment.
In addition to these direct employment opportunities, LinkWise’s activities could provide opportunities for Djiboutian businesses and promote the creation of indirect jobs in the construction, transport, energy, telecommunications, catering, security and professional services sectors.
Mobilizing domestic suppliers and suppliers would be an important lever in this regard to increase the economic benefits of investment and support the development of the local entrepreneurial fabric.
The development of national competences is another major issue at this meeting. The ambition is to ensure that young Djiboutians have access not only to the jobs generated by infrastructure construction, but also to the specialized occupations that will accompany their exploitation and development.
This requires anticipating the needs for qualifications, identifying the profiles available on the labour market and introducing training pathways adapted to the requirements of these new activities.
In this context, the discussions focused on opportunities to develop technical training programmes, in-company internships, scholarships and partnerships with higher education institutions, including in the areas of artificial intelligence, high performance computing, cybersecurity, networks, data management and IT infrastructure maintenance.
The development of university collaborations, including the prospect of an institution specialising in artificial intelligence, is also one of the avenues envisaged.
The challenge is to foster a genuine transfer of know-how, allowing young Djiboutian professionals to acquire skills that can be directly valued in the labour market, to gradually gain access to positions of responsibility and to participate in the exploitation of infrastructure.
In the longer term, this increase in skills could also stimulate digital entrepreneurship, applied research and the emergence of new companies specialized in technology services.
Minister Yonis Ali Guedi stressed that investments in future sectors must translate into tangible benefits for the population, especially for youth.
He stressed the importance of including opportunities for cooperation with LinkWise in a structured approach, based on measurable local recruitment targets, training programmes tailored to the real needs of the company and follow-up mechanisms to assess jobs created and skills transferred.
This approach is part of the development vision of President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who places the development of human capital, the professional integration of young people and the diversification of the economy at the heart of national priorities.
Through this meeting, the Ministry of Labour reaffirms its willingness to bring investors’ needs closer to the available skills and to develop, so that new technological investments can contribute sustainably to national employment. The aim is to make this dynamic a concrete lever for job integration, qualification of Djiboutian labour and creation of new economic opportunities for future generations.
