Event report

East Africa Business Forum 2021: Doing business in Djibouti

In the backdrop of the East Africa Business Forum 2021, we held a session on Doing business in Djibouti'. The session was led by Anne-Brigitte MASSON, Head of the Economic department, Ethiopia, Djibouti & Eritrea; Gaelle BALINEAU, Economist (PhD) – Eastern Africa, French Development Agency (AFD) and Reuben AHRONEE, CEO, Massida Group.

Some takeaways from the session:

• Djibouti's market size (1 million inhabitants) is favorable to SMEs
• There is presence of a liquid and competitive banking and financial sector in the country
• There is low availability of natural resources (high cost of electricity, telcos)
• The country features a strong Chinese presence
• Plans are underway to develop the 'Djibouti Business District' a world class central business district at the city’s heart. The district will among others provide accommodation for thirty thousand residents and transform Djibouti’s tourism with a world class cruise liner terminal