Djibouti has officially opened the Djibouti Ship Repair Yard (DSRY), positioning the facility as the largest of its kind in the Red Sea and East Africa, according to the state news agency ADI.

The inauguration was also confirmed by Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority on its official media account, with the ceremony held under the patronage of President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

The project was developed in partnership with DAMEN Shipyards and financed by Invest International, with total funding of €107.5m.

The yard includes a floating dock measuring 217 metres by 43 metres with a lifting capacity of up to 20,100 tonnes, designed to serve vessels operating along the Bab el-Mandeb corridor, one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Government-linked publication La Nation said the opening ceremony was attended by senior officials including infrastructure minister Hassan Houmed Ibrahim, DPFZA chairman Aboubaker Omar Hadi and DAMEN Shipyards president Arnout Damen.

The report said DAMEN is expected to manage the facility during a three-year transition period while local operational capacity is developed.

ADI said the project is expected to create around 350 direct jobs and 1,400 indirect jobs, highlighting its role in expanding Djibouti’s industrial base beyond logistics and transit services.

Damen Shipyards Group is a Dutch family-owned shipbuilding and maritime services company with more than 10,000 employees and operations across multiple countries. Invest International is a Netherlands-based development finance institution supporting international infrastructure and industrial projects, including maritime assets.

Source: Business Insider Africa