Djibouti Boosts Port Capacity With Two New Tugboats

By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter

Djibouti, 15 December 2025 - The Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority (APZFD) has deployed two modern tugboats capable of handing larger cargo vessels, a move aimed at strengthening the country’s role as a key maritime gateway in the Horn of Africa.

The inauguration ceremony, held on Sunday at the old port, was attended by the President of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority, Aboubaker Omar Hadi.

The tugboats were named Farah Hassan Ragueh and Saad Warsama Dirieh, in recognition of former officials who had served within the Djibouti Ports administration.

Each of the tugboats is powered by 6,800 horsepower and is specifically designed to assist with the safe entry and exit of very large vessels.

According to Djiboutian authorities, the new tugboats are capable of safely manoeuvring ships measuring between 370 and 390 metres in length, operating in waters with a draft of up to 18 metres.

This marks a major upgrade compared with the previous generation of tugboats, which had a capacity of 1,800 horsepower and were limited to assisting vessels of up to 170 metres in length.

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The upgrade aligns directly with the global growth in container shipping, as Djibouti’s ports are now able to accommodate container vessels carrying up to 23,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU), compared with approximately 6,500 TEU two decades ago.

Authorities noted that the acquisition of the two tugboats is part of a long-term investment policy spanning more than 20 years.

Over $108 million has been invested in tugboats, pilot boats and patrol vessels to ensure the safe handling of ships entering and leaving Djibouti’s ports, which sit at a strategic crossroads linking Asia, Africa and Europe.

The investment for the two units was reported at $9.74 million per tug, a move the Ports and Free Zones Authority described as essential given the rapid evolution of global maritime transport.

With the deployment of these high-power tugboats, Djibouti has once again underscored its strategic ambition to modernise port infrastructure, enhance maritime safety and strengthen global trade connectivity, further consolidating its critical role as a maritime hub in the Horn of Africa.

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