BERBERA, Somaliland — Along the windswept Gulf of Aden, a once-sleepy port town is emerging as one of Africa’s most promising gateways to global trade. What was once a dusty, underdeveloped harbor is now a bustling logistics hub—thanks to a decade-long transformation driven by DP World, the Dubai-based global port operator led by Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem.
In a new commentary, bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World and Chairman of Dubai’s Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation, described Berbera as “a fascinating place with a remarkable future.” His company’s multimillion-dollar investment in the Port of Berbera, he said, offers a model for how strategic infrastructure can unlock the potential of frontier markets.
“When most investors look at frontier markets, they do so from a distance,” bin Sulayem wrote. “At DP World, our strategy tells a very different story—making long-term investments that transform economies and shift patterns of trade.”
A Port Reborn on the Horn of Africa
Situated at a key maritime crossroads between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, the Port of Berbera sits less than 300 miles from Ethiopia—a landlocked country of 135 million people. For decades, Ethiopia has relied almost exclusively on Djibouti for its imports and exports.
Bin Sulayem believes that Berbera’s new infrastructure offers Ethiopia—and the wider Horn of Africa—a much-needed alternative. “Ethiopia will need access to multiple ports to support its rapid economic growth,” he said. “The Berbera Corridor is the obvious additional gateway.”
Since DP World secured a 30-year concession in 2016, the company has poured more than $440 million into modernizing the port and building a 1,200-hectare special economic zone. The once-modest quay has been extended from 650 meters to over a kilometer, fitted with cranes capable of handling some of the world’s largest vessels.
“In 2017 it took four days to unload an 800-container ship,” bin Sulayem recalled. “Now it takes just 10 hours.”
Annual container capacity has jumped fivefold to 500,000 units—a reflection of the region’s growing trade volumes and Berbera’s new efficiency.
Partnerships Beyond Profit
The transformation of Berbera is not solely a DP World story. The project drew support from international development partners, including the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, UK Aid, British International Investment (BII), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Together, they helped finance the road connecting Ethiopia to the port and strengthen local governance.
Somaliland officials have hailed the investments as a catalyst for regional growth. Local revenue in Berbera, according to UNDP data cited by bin Sulayem, soared from just $1.5 million in 2012 to $14 million by 2024—funding new schools, clinics, and basic services.
Today, DP World employs about 1,300 permanent staff in Berbera, 98% of them local. An additional 2,000 to 3,000 people work in non-permanent roles. Many, bin Sulayem said, have become so skilled that the company now deploys them to advise operations in other countries.
“There is an optimism in the air and the bustle of trade, which always makes me smile,” he said.
Building Ecosystems, Not Just Ports
For Bin Sulayem, the success of Berbera underscores three core principles of DP World’s strategy in frontier markets: finding opportunity in overlooked regions, building integrated ecosystems, and maintaining a long-term perspective.
“Where others see problems, look for opportunities,” he wrote. “Somaliland defies outdated stereotypes and is on a positive trajectory.”
DP World has encouraged local manufacturing by supporting new ventures within the Berbera Special Economic Zone—including a cooking oil packaging plant and an oil import terminal that now exports to Ethiopia and Somalia. Bulk oil imports, he noted, have helped reduce prices for local consumers.
This ecosystem-based approach, he said, mirrors the model that helped turn Dubai’s Jebel Ali into one of the world’s leading logistics hubs.
Africa’s Frontier Potential
For the Emirati executive, Berbera represents more than a successful business venture; it symbolizes Africa’s rising role in global trade.
“Across the continent, we’re investing for the long term—in ports, logistics, and partnerships that extend the benefits of trade,” bin Sulayem said. “Berbera illustrates all these points, and as its momentum increases, the opportunities will only grow.”
From the Horn of Africa to West Africa, DP World has positioned itself as a pioneer in long-term infrastructure partnerships—betting that economic connectivity will drive prosperity in places that global investors often overlook.
As bin Sulayem put it, “If you build it, they will come.”
