The Republic of Djibouti is seeking to revitalize its economic and trade relations with strategic partners by expanding cooperation areas, attracting investments, and enhancing its presence as a regional trade and logistics platform. Djibouti's Minister of Trade and Tourism, Orbs Heilf Orbs, recently participated in the 40th session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul from November 1-3, 2026.
The Djiboutian delegation, which included Ambassador Adam Hussein Abdullah and First Counselor Ali Omar Yusuf, met with representatives of member states to discuss priority issues in economic cooperation, including trade development, private sector engagement, financial cooperation, transportation, sustainable tourism, agricultural productivity, food security, poverty reduction, and digital transformation. The ministerial discussions focused on trade financing mechanisms and their role in supporting exports and enhancing competitiveness.
In his address to the meeting, Minister Orbs emphasized the importance of promoting trade exchanges, diversifying economies, encouraging investments, and strengthening strategic partnerships to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth. On the sidelines of the committee's work, Minister Orbs met with his Turkish counterpart, Omar Bolat, to explore ways to develop trade exchanges, encourage Turkish investments in Djibouti, and expand cooperation in trade and tourism.
The Djiboutian delegation proposed a strategic plan to coordinate between the two ministries, facilitating the establishment of Turkish companies in Djibouti and enhancing their activities. The Turkish side welcomed the proposal, and Minister Bolat stressed the importance of activating the joint economic and commercial committee to follow up on bilateral commitments and explore new cooperation opportunities.
Djibouti and Turkey also discussed organizing an economic, trade, and investment forum between the two countries, which would bring together public institutions, investors, and business representatives to promote investment opportunities, encourage partnerships, and outline practical steps to stimulate trade exchanges and bilateral cooperation. The forum is expected to take place on the sidelines of the sixth session of the joint committee for cooperation in Ankara in February 2027.
As part of Djibouti's efforts to diversify economic partnerships, Minister Orbs met with his Tunisian counterpart to discuss ways to revitalize economic and trade relations between the two countries and explore new cooperation opportunities. The talks focused on establishing a cooperation mechanism to facilitate the entry of Tunisian products into Djibouti and their re-export to African markets, leveraging Djibouti's strategic location and infrastructure.
The two countries identified promising sectors for cooperation, including dates, olive oil, and Tunisian pharmaceutical products. This initiative aims to enhance Djibouti's position as a regional distribution and re-export hub, while promoting partnerships between economic actors in both countries. The ministers agreed to continue consultations to determine the practical mechanisms for implementing this approach.
Key points
- Djibouti is strengthening trade partnerships and attracting investments to boost its economic growth.
- The country is promoting its strategic location as a regional trade and logistics hub.
- Djibouti is exploring new cooperation opportunities with countries like Turkey and Tunisia.
Reporting sources
- Al Qarn · Al Qarn
