# Berbera port expansion: DP World's first-phase launch in 2018

> DP World reported on 11 October 2018 that construction of Berbera port's first phase had started, with 400m quay, yard and free zone planned.

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 20 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Infrastructure and Services
- Place: Berbera, Somaliland
- Tags: somaliland, berbera, civil-engineering
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/berbera-ports-first-phase-how-the-launch-framed-regional

## Key points

- DP World announced on 11 October 2018 that construction work had started on Berbera port's first phase.
- The announced first phase covers a 400-metre quay, a 250,000 square metre yard extension and a free zone.
- Ethiopia was named as a shareholder with a 19% stake, part of the plan to serve landlocked Horn of Africa markets.

DP World reported on 11 October 2018 that construction work had started at the multi-purpose port of Berbera in Somaliland, marked by a ground-breaking ceremony attended by Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi and DP World Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. The announcement described the first phase of the expansion and the trading role the port was intended to serve.

## What the source records

The announcement states that the first phase consists of a 400-metre quay and a 250,000 square metre yard extension, plus a free zone. It records that DP World Berbera, the joint venture company, will serve landlocked countries in the Horn of Africa such as Ethiopia, which holds a 19% stake as a shareholder. Shafa Al Nahda Contracting was named as the construction contractor, with prior work at the Port of Dakar and the Port of Maputo. The source is [DP World](https://www.dpworld.com/en/news/groundbreaking-ceremony-marks-start-of-work-at-dp-world-berbera-in-somaliland).

## What it means on site

Berbera sits on the Gulf of Aden, where marine air can carry salt onto exposed steel and concrete, so durability details may matter alongside the headline scope. The fixed scope gives bidders and engineers a way to group packages: quay works, yard works and free zone works. The source names only the main construction contract, so the split of sub-packages is not stated. Anyone preparing a bid can ask the client which specification the quay concrete and reinforcement must follow.

## What the source does not establish

The source records a launch and a planned scope, not completed work. The quay, yard and free zone are described as what the first phase will consist of, so those quantities were targets at that date. The announcement does not give progress rates, completion dates, final as-built dimensions or the present condition of the port. A current record from the port authority or the terminal operator would confirm what has been built and what remains.

## What to do next

Ask the port authority or the terminal operator for the current as-built drawings and the specification section covering quay and yard works, then compare the delivered dimensions with the first-phase scope stated in the 2018 announcement.

## Sources

- [Port expansion construction launch](https://www.dpworld.com/en/news/groundbreaking-ceremony-marks-start-of-work-at-dp-world-berbera-in-somaliland) — DP World, 2018-10-11 (Documented launch; groundbreaking account and first-phase scope.)