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Inner circles | Djibouti
Kept on a tight leash, Aboubaker Omar Hadi rules over Djibouti's ports

The director of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority, Aboubaker Omar Hadi. © Luc Gnago/Reuters

The chairman of Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority Aboubaker Omar Hadi has become a major asset for the small state as he continues to build a lucrative business empire around its ports. Hadi has the full trust of President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who is careful, however, to keep him in his place. [...]

Published on 14/10/2022 at 06:00 GMT Reading time 6 minutes

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Infrastructure

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Abdillahi Adaweh Sigad
Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed
Abdourahman Boreh
Aboubaker Omar Hadi
Aéroports de Paris ingénierie
Air Djibouti SAS
Ali Hassan Bahdon
China Merchants Group
Clément Leclerc
Djama Ibrahim Darar
Djibouti Multi-Purpose Port
Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority
Djibouti Ports Corridor Road SA
Djibouti Sovereign Wealth Fund
Doraleh Container Terminal
DP World
Egis
Great Horn Investment Holding
Hassan Issa Sultan
Huang Junlong
International Djibouti Industrial Parks Operation
Ismail Omar Guelleh
Kadra Mahamoud Haid
Khor Ambado Free Zone
Lac Assal Investment Holding Co
Mohamed Abdillahi Wais
Mohamed Aden Waberi
Mohamed Sadek Saleh
Port of Dalian Group
Port of Djibouti SA
Rassemblement Populaire pour le Progres
Red Sea Global
Saad Omar Guelleh
Societe de gestion du Terminal a conteneurs de Doraleh
Societe djiboutienne d'industrie et de commerce

Spotlight | Ethiopia, Somalia
Horn of Africa corridor competition intensifies as regional rivalry deepens

Ethiopia, Africa's most populous landlocked country, hopes to diversify supply routes to reduce its dependence on Djibouti. The future transport corridors are attracting the attention of international development partners and of the Gulf States, which are battling for influence in the region.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 06.05.2024

Djibouti, Somaliland
Zeilah, a port in two storms

Abiy Ahmed's renewed focus on Ethiopia's access to the sea has set coastal communities near Zeilah in Somaliland against each other and fuelled the rivalry between his country and Djibouti, through whose port most Ethiopian imports and exports flow.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 15.12.2023

Djibouti
Djibouti's ruling party already looking ahead to 2026

After a landslide victory for the presidential coalition in the legislative elections, the Rassemblement Populaire pour le Progrès (People's Rally for Progress) is already gearing up for 2026.

Subscribers only Politics 03.10.2023

Djibouti
First lady's niece builds up her investment portfolio

Businesswoman Tolmone Almis Haid, a niece of First Lady Kadra Mahamoud Haid, is quietly diversifying her business interests in Djibouti, particularly in the health sector.

Subscribers only Business 23.08.2023

Djibouti
Government poaches from education ministry to carry out prefectural reshuffle

Earlier this month, Interior Minister Said Nouh Hassan devised a new line-up of the state's representatives in Djibouti's five regions and Djibouti City. It was an opportunity to hand out some plum posts to friends and former colleagues.

Subscribers only Politics 12.06.2023

Djibouti
Who's who among Djibouti's business-savvy consuls

For decades, the role of honorary consul has been given to businesspeople who have been living in Djibouti for a long time. They often belong to influential families and act as go-betweens on economic and political matters.

Subscribers only Business, Diplomacy 06.02.2023

President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh in Nairobi, Kenya, 13 September 2022.

Congo, DRC
SCET resumes studies for Kinshasa-Brazzaville bridge

The Tunisian engineering firm SCET Tunisie is busy updating the preliminary studies for a road and rail bridge between Kinshasa and Brazzaville that it originally conducted alongside the French company Egis back in 2011.

Subscribers only Infrastructure 02.02.2023

Djibouti, Monaco
From industry to finance, Monaco steps up interest in Djibouti

After a Djiboutian business delegation visited Monaco last year, a small number of Monegasque companies will next month make the return trip to the tiny state in the Horn of Africa.

Subscribers only Business 30.01.2023

Djibouti, France
Special envoy from Paris to renegotiate military cooperation with IOG

In order to successfully renegotiate France's defence cooperation treaty with Djibouti, the French foreign ministry has been relying in recent weeks on a special envoy.

Subscribers only Defence 08.12.2022

Djibouti
US military solutions expert Vectrus arrives in Djibouti

The American firm Vectrus, which specialises in logistics and operational support for armed forces, registered a subsidiary in Djibouti. Vectrus Services Djibouti will provide logistical and consultancy services to the Djiboutian government.

Subscribers only Defence 24.11.2022

Djibouti
Red Sea Power, the owner of the Ghoubet wind farm, starts off in the red

On 19 October, the Djibouti company Red Sea Power, owner and operator of the Ghoubet wind farm, confirmed, filed and certified its accounts for the year 2021.

Subscribers only Energy 16.11.2022

Kenya
Kenya Ports Authority director job whets many appetites

Several clans in President William Ruto's entourage are jockeying to get their representative appointed as the new head of the highly strategic Kenya Ports Authority.

Subscribers only Infrastructure, Politics 01.11.2022

Djibouti
French business patron Renaud Muselier checks in on projects in the Horn

The president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region travelled to Djibouti last week with a large delegation of French business owners and politicians to take stock of contracts financed by the French region.

Subscribers only Business 31.10.2022

President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region Renaud Muselier in Paris, March 2022.

Djibouti
General Inspectorate IOG's weapon of choice against potential rivals

Former Minister of Budget Abdoulkarim Aden Cher, arrested last week, is not the first high official in Djibouti's administration to find himself in the crosshairs of the General Inspectorate.

Subscribers only Politics 10.03.2022

Djibouti
World Bank supports GHIH wind farm via a Mauritian company

The bank has provided a $100.81 million guarantee for a wind farm in Djibouti through the Mauritian-registered Djibouti Wind Co. The Djiboutian sovereign wealth fund Great Horn Investment Holding is financing the project, together with the Africa Finance Corp, Dutch development bank FMO and the Climate Fund Managers fund.

Subscribers only Finance, Energy, Business 26.02.2020

In Focus | Djibouti
Ismael Omar Guelleh loses control of the ports, the country's principal resource

Following the funeral of the chairman of the Port of Djibouti authority Saad Omar Guelleh, half-brother of head of state Ismaël Omar Guelleh, Aboubaker Omar Hadi, head of the Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority, is steadily becoming the sector's strong man.

Subscribers only Infrastructure, Politics 04.11.2019

The Doraleh Multi-Purpose Port in Djibouti.

Djibouti
Djibouti Ports Corridor Road takes control of the roads

On 28 October, the company Djibouti Ports Corridor Road (DPCR) [...]

Subscribers only Business 09.11.2018

Set up email notifications for these topics

Abdillahi Adaweh Sigad
Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed
Abdourahman Boreh
Aboubaker Omar Hadi
Aéroports de Paris ingénierie
Air Djibouti SAS
Ali Hassan Bahdon
China Merchants Group
Clément Leclerc
Djama Ibrahim Darar
Djibouti Multi-Purpose Port
Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority
Djibouti Ports Corridor Road SA
Djibouti Sovereign Wealth Fund
Doraleh Container Terminal
DP World
Egis
Great Horn Investment Holding
Hassan Issa Sultan
Huang Junlong
International Djibouti Industrial Parks Operation
Ismail Omar Guelleh
Kadra Mahamoud Haid
Khor Ambado Free Zone
Lac Assal Investment Holding Co
Mohamed Abdillahi Wais
Mohamed Aden Waberi
Mohamed Sadek Saleh
Port of Dalian Group
Port of Djibouti SA
Rassemblement Populaire pour le Progres
Red Sea Global
Saad Omar Guelleh
Societe de gestion du Terminal a conteneurs de Doraleh
Societe djiboutienne d'industrie et de commerce

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Inner circles | Djibouti
Kept on a tight leash, Aboubaker Omar Hadi rules over Djibouti's ports

This article may be accessed by subscribers

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create a free account

Set up email notifications for these topics

Spotlight | Ethiopia, Somalia
Horn of Africa corridor competition intensifies as regional rivalry deepens

Djibouti, Somaliland
Zeilah, a port in two storms

Djibouti
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SCET resumes studies for Kinshasa-Brazzaville bridge

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In Focus | Djibouti
Ismael Omar Guelleh loses control of the ports, the country's principal resource

Djibouti
Djibouti Ports Corridor Road takes control of the roads

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Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Indigo Publications' websites

Botswana, South Africa From Gaborone to Antwerp, is De Beers's empire on the rocks?

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Inner circles | Djibouti Kept on a tight leash, Aboubaker Omar Hadi rules over Djibouti's ports

This article may be accessed by subscribers

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Create your free account

create a free account

Set up email notifications for these topics

Spotlight | Ethiopia, Somalia Horn of Africa corridor competition intensifies as regional rivalry deepens

Djibouti, Somaliland Zeilah, a port in two storms

Djibouti Djibouti's ruling party already looking ahead to 2026

Djibouti First lady's niece builds up her investment portfolio

Djibouti Government poaches from education ministry to carry out prefectural reshuffle

Djibouti Who's who among Djibouti's business-savvy consuls

Congo, DRC SCET resumes studies for Kinshasa-Brazzaville bridge

Djibouti, Monaco From industry to finance, Monaco steps up interest in Djibouti

Djibouti, France Special envoy from Paris to renegotiate military cooperation with IOG

Djibouti US military solutions expert Vectrus arrives in Djibouti

Djibouti Red Sea Power, the owner of the Ghoubet wind farm, starts off in the red

Kenya Kenya Ports Authority director job whets many appetites

Djibouti French business patron Renaud Muselier checks in on projects in the Horn

Djibouti General Inspectorate IOG's weapon of choice against potential rivals

Djibouti World Bank supports GHIH wind farm via a Mauritian company

In Focus | Djibouti Ismael Omar Guelleh loses control of the ports, the country's principal resource

Djibouti Djibouti Ports Corridor Road takes control of the roads

Set up email notifications for these topics

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

Botswana, South Africa
From Gaborone to Antwerp, is De Beers's empire on the rocks?

Mali, Senegal, Togo
The secrets of Demex, the trader selling Russian oil in West Africa

Inner circles | Djibouti
Kept on a tight leash, Aboubaker Omar Hadi rules over Djibouti's ports

Spotlight | Ethiopia, Somalia
Horn of Africa corridor competition intensifies as regional rivalry deepens

Djibouti, Somaliland
Zeilah, a port in two storms

Djibouti
Djibouti's ruling party already looking ahead to 2026

Djibouti
First lady's niece builds up her investment portfolio

Djibouti
Government poaches from education ministry to carry out prefectural reshuffle

Djibouti
Who's who among Djibouti's business-savvy consuls

Congo, DRC
SCET resumes studies for Kinshasa-Brazzaville bridge

Djibouti, Monaco
From industry to finance, Monaco steps up interest in Djibouti

Djibouti, France
Special envoy from Paris to renegotiate military cooperation with IOG

Djibouti
US military solutions expert Vectrus arrives in Djibouti

Djibouti
Red Sea Power, the owner of the Ghoubet wind farm, starts off in the red

Kenya
Kenya Ports Authority director job whets many appetites

Djibouti
French business patron Renaud Muselier checks in on projects in the Horn

Djibouti
General Inspectorate IOG's weapon of choice against potential rivals

Djibouti
World Bank supports GHIH wind farm via a Mauritian company

In Focus | Djibouti
Ismael Omar Guelleh loses control of the ports, the country's principal resource

Djibouti
Djibouti Ports Corridor Road takes control of the roads