By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Djibouti, 17 September 2026 Djibouti is seeking additional financing for the planned Biidley International Airport, a $474 million project intended to expand the country's air cargo capacity and strengthen its position as a regional logistics hub.
Ministers, diplomats and financial partners met in Djibouti on Wednesday to review the project and discuss mobilising the remaining funds, according to the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority and state-run Djibouti News Agency.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Aboulkader Houssein Omar, Economy and Finance Minister Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Budget Minister Isman Ibrahim Robleh, Infrastructure Minister Said Nouh Hassan and Ports Authority Chairman Aboubaker Omar Hadi, alongside French, U.S. and Japanese ambassadors.
The talks focused on securing additional financing and consolidating support from partners including Djibouti, France and Japan, the ports authority said. Officials did not disclose how much financing had been secured or how much was still needed.
The airport, officially named Al-Haj Hassan Gouled Aptidon–Biidley International Airport, is being developed with ADPI, part of France's Groupe ADP.
The project will cover 4,600 hectares and include a 3,600-metre runway capable of handling Boeing 747-8F cargo aircraft.
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Biidley’s low elevation would allow the freighter aircraft to take off and land carrying full cargo and fuel loads, the ports authority said.
The airport is designed primarily for air cargo operations, with annual capacity exceeding 100,000 tonnes of freight and one million passengers.
Djibouti says the airport will complement its ports, railway and road networks, connecting regional markets and trade corridors while supporting its ambition to become a multimodal logistics hub linking Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
The project was initially launched in 2015 but has faced repeated delays. Djibouti has since discussed financing with the Saudi Fund for Development and the African Development Bank.
The government has not announced a construction start date or a timetable for completion.