The Inauguration of the Berbera Economic Free Zone
Berbera, 02.03.2023: The President of the Republic of Somaliland, H.E Muse Bihi Abdi, officially opened the free market in the Berbera Economic Free Zone, which was built on the western outskirts of Berbera.
The president was accompanied by the chairman of the parliament, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the attorney general, and some of the cabinet and ministers. The event was attended by the chairman of DP World, representatives of various companies that have signed up for this free market, the head of British International Investment (BII), the UK’s Development Finance Institution (DFI), and the Chief Impact Officer at British International Investment.
This opening follows the inauguration of the new container terminal at Berbera Port in June 2021. DP World’s goal in Berbera is to develop it as a commercial hub, taking advantage of its strategic location along one of the world’s busiest waterways and entering the vast rural areas of the Horn of Africa region.
DP World has issued a press release briefing the works of the Economic free zone in Berbera and saying that the importance of the Berbera economic free zone is to create an environment suitable for business so that Somaliland can attract investment and create jobs. The Port of Berbera and the Economic Free Zone are Somaliland’s integrated maritime, trade, and logistics hubs in the Horn of Africa.
Liz Lloyd, Chief Impact Officer at British International Investment, who spoke at the event, said, “We are very happy to be a part of this important event to launch the Berbera Economic Free Zone, which will be an important economy for Somaliland. And support the growth of the Horn of Africa region. The overall expansion of the port is expected to improve the quality of life and basic living needs of more than one million Somalilanders, increase the availability and affordability of goods, and contribute to more than 53,000 local jobs.”
The President of the Republic of Somaliland, H.E. Muse Bihi Abdi, who concluded the event, explained the benefits of this market to the nation and the benefits of the Somaliland community in terms of “technical knowledge, management, service, integration, and cooperation in the world.” The president said that the construction of this free market and the previous projects implemented by the DP-World company in Berbera will make the city capable of irrigating countries that do not have ports in Africa.” The projects implemented in Berbera make the port capable of serving the region and countries that do not have ports on our continent, and it is a historic step taken by the government towards the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDPs 1, 2, and 3).