# Berbera Port Targets 30% of Ethiopian Cargo

> On 2019-11-26, Somaliland Standard reported Berbera aims to capture over 30% of Ethiopian container cargo, but no later data confirms progress.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 30 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: roads, drainage
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/berbera-port-targets-ethiopian-cargo

## Key points

- Somaliland Standard reported on 2019-11-26 that Berbera Port targets over 30% of Ethiopian container cargo.
- The report describes first-phase expansion as halfway complete with a target completion of October 2021.
- The report does not establish whether the 30% share has been achieved since that date.

On 26 November 2019, Somaliland Standard reported that Somaliland was targeting **more than 30 percent of Ethiopian container cargo** as construction work for the first-phase expansion of the port of Berbera progressed halfway.

The same report said the **Somaliland Port Authority** expected the expansion to be completed by **October 2021**. The first phase consisted of building a **400-meter quay** and a **250,000-square-meter yard extension**, awarded to **Shafa Al Nahda**. Somaliland Standard reported the expansion would cost **442 million USD**, without specifying the scope or financing details.

The report identified the General Manager of the Somaliland Port Authority as **Said Abudilahi**, who was quoted as saying the expansion process was going well and would be completed on time. He also reportedly said that lack of communication, mixing up Somaliland and Mogadishu, and poor infrastructure made Ethiopians reluctant to use the port.

Somaliland Standard further reported that **DP World** held a 51 percent stake in Berbera Port, Ethiopia 19 percent, and Somaliland the remainder. A **250-kilometer divided highway** between Berbera and the Ethiopian border town of Togochale was being built by a UAE company and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, with completion expected in May 2021.

The report also stated that a **joint coordination committee** was formed at ministerial level to handle trade and legal aspects, and that trenching activity would begin after 10 days. It mentioned a tugboat purchased the previous year capable of pushing 50 thousand tons, and a tender for another.

> **Note:** The report describes plans and claims as of November 2019. It does not establish whether the 30% cargo target was reached, whether the expansion was completed by October 2021, or whether the highway was finished by May 2021.

The source is a single news report from Somaliland Standard. No subsequent data on actual cargo volumes, market share, or project completion is included in the evidence.

## Questions

### What is the current share of Ethiopian cargo handled by Berbera?

No current share is available. The 30% target was reported in November 2019, but no later figures are provided.

### What expansions are underway at Berbera Port?

As of November 2019, a first-phase expansion included a 400-meter quay and 250,000-square-meter yard extension, reportedly halfway complete.

## Sources

- [Berbera Ports Targets 30pct of Ethiopian Cargo](https://somalilandstandard.com/berbera-ports-targets-30pct-of-ethiopian-cargo/) — Somaliland Standard, 2019-11-26