Djibouti Launches Workshops to Professionalize Creative Industry

By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter

Djibouti, 11 January 2026 – Djibouti launched two specialized training workshops aimed at professionalizing its theatre and creative industries on Saturday, as the Horn of Africa nation seeks to transform its cultural sector into a formal economic pillar.

The initiative, organized by the National Agency for Cultural Promotion, opened at the National Library in the presence of Hibo Moumin Assoweh, Minister of Youth and Culture, and Mohamed Hussein Duale, Director General of the Cultural Development Agency.

Representatives from the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) also attended the ceremony, underscoring the regional partnership behind the drive to bolster Djibouti’s creative economy.

The workshops are designed to equip artists, performers, and cultural administrators with technical skills in theatrical production and project management.

The government’s broader strategy aims to move the arts beyond informal activity toward a sustainable "creative industry" that contributes to long-term national development.

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"It is essential to professionalize our artistic activities to build a sustainable cultural ecosystem," Minister Assoweh said during the opening. She added that the training would play a "major role" in evolving the sector into a structured industry capable of generating jobs and economic value.

The program includes modules on theatre techniques, the design and management of cultural projects, and the regulatory frameworks required to govern and grow creative enterprises.

Director General Duale praised the Ministry's efforts, noting that the workshops are a central component of a larger national roadmap to industrialize the cultural sector.

The move comes as Djibouti continues to diversify its economy, traditionally dominated by its strategic port and logistics services, by looking toward tourism and the "orange economy" of arts and culture to engage its youth population.

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