By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Ethiopia, 15 December 2025 - Djibouti, Ethiopia and Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) have held discussions on reviving the transportation of refined petroleum products between the Doraleh Terminal in Djibouti and the fuel depots in Awash, Ethiopia by railway.
The talks took place during a meeting held on Saturday in Addis Ababa, co-chaired by Djibouti’s Minister of Energy, Yonis Ali Gedi, and Ethiopia’s Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide.
Although no formal agreement was reached during the meeting, participants discussed the revival of key commercial and technical agreements required to transport fuel from the Port of Doraleh to Ethiopia by rail.
Negotiations focused on financial arrangements, cost structures, and pricing. Currently, fuel shipped from Djibouti to Ethiopia is transported by road tanker trucks, a system that would become easier, safer, and more efficient if the railway resumes operations.
Speaking at the meeting, Ethiopian Finance Minister Ahmed Shide said that securing fuel transportation and expanding capacity are essential to meeting the needs of Ethiopia’s market.
More from Ethiopia
For his part, Djibouti’s Minister of Energy Yonis Ali Guedi described the project as one that structures and integrates two interdependent economies, calling for swift solutions to the obstacles and delays affecting the project.
“Every delay increases the cost of the project. We must act quickly, in the interest of our two countries,” he said.
Officials from Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) and ENOC, who also attended the meeting, together with representatives of both governments, agreed to establish a technical mechanism to finalize the agreements and accelerate implementation of this strategic project linking Djibouti and Ethiopia.
The project is widely regarded as crucial for strengthening regional trade and energy connectivity, with the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway continuing to serve as the backbone of Ethiopia’s freight transport system, as more than 90 percent of Ethiopia’s imports and exports pass through Djibouti’s ports.
