After the inauguration of the new box terminal at Berbera Port in June 2021, DP World and the Government of Somaliland opened the new Berbera Economic Zone (BEZ) aiming to transform the area into a major trade hub in the Horn o Africa.
The first phase of the BEZ was officially opened by Muse Bihi Abdi, President of Somaliland, and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, at a special event attended by several hundred guests.
DP World noted that its vision for Berbera is to develop it into a trade hub, taking advantage of its location along one of the busiest sea routes in the world and access to the vast hinterland in the region, including Ethiopia.
The BEZ is located just 15 kilometres from the port along the Berbera to Wajaale road (Berbera Corridor) that connects to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, which needs multiple sea gateways to meet its trade requirements.
The new economic zone is based on the model of DP World’s Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) in Dubai, and there will also be synergies between the two zones, where companies in Dubai can register for Berbera through the Jafza one-stop shop, while companies in Berbera can access Jafza’s incubation centre facilities.
The zone is designed to create a business-friendly environment to attract investment and create jobs for Somaliland.
DP World has already signed an agreement with IFFCO, a major UAE-based food company, to develop an edible oil packing plant in the BEZ and several more companies operating across various sectors have already registered.
The Master Plan for the BEZ covers more than 12 km² and can be expanded in the future. With phase one now open, it offers serviced land plots for the construction of company facilities, 10,000 m² of pre-built warehouses, build-to-suit facilities, open yard storage, a common user warehouse which DP World will operate to handle customers’ cargo, as well as office space with end-to-end IT services.
