Dubai, UAE — Global port operator DP World has launched a new shipping service connecting its Jebel Ali hub in Dubai with the strategic port of Berbera, Somalia, the government of Dubai said in a statement.
The new route aims to bolster trade between the Gulf and East Africa, offering a competitive gateway to Ethiopia and the wider region.
The service, which will operate every 9 days, marks a significant step toward establishing the Berbera corridor as a viable competitor to Djibouti’s port, which has long dominated regional logistics.
Since DP World began operations in 2017, the company stated that vessel productivity at the Somali port has surged by 450 percent.
A strategic alternative
The route’s primary value lies in creating a direct, faster maritime link to Somalia’s breakaway Somaliland region. From Berbera, cargo can be transported overland to landlocked Ethiopia, providing a new logistics chain for Africa’s second-most-populous country and a key consumer market.
The port of Berbera is in Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not internationally recognized. According to the World Bank, over 95 percent of Ethiopia’s massive import-export trade currently passes through Djibouti.
The new Berbera corridor is a key part of regional efforts to diversify these crucial trade routes.
“The Jebel Ali to Berbera service further complements DP World’s investment drive into Africa,” said Ganesh Raj, a chief operating officer at the company. He added that the service will enhance connectivity and “boost trade links between the Middle East and East Africa.”
DP World stated the new route supports more predictable transit times and reduces exposure to regional bottlenecks. Officials at the Port of Djibouti did not immediately respond to emailed questions seeking comment on the new competing service.
Billions in investment
Significant infrastructure development at Berbera and along the inland corridor to Ethiopia underpins the shipping lane. DP World has significantly expanded the port, adding a 400-metre quay capable of handling some of the world’s largest vessels and a modern container terminal.
The terminal currently has an annual capacity of 500,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). It plans to quadruple it to 2 million TEUs. Berbera also handles more than 4 million heads of livestock annually—a trade worth more than $1 billion.
DP World has invested close to $3 billion across Africa to date and has committed another $3 billion for port and logistics projects over the next three to five years. Its investments range from Rwanda’s Kigali Logistics Platform to the Maputo Corridor in Mozambique.
“The launch of this new corridor is a milestone in our ambition to build faster, safer, and more reliable trade routes,” stated Supachai Wattanaveerachai, CEO of DP World Horn of Africa.
Recent upgrades to the 250-kilometre road linking Berbera to the Ethiopian border have improved the project’s viability. According to TradeMark Africa, these improvements—backed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the United Kingdom—are critical to ensuring inland transit matches the port’s new efficiency.