In brief
- The December 2025 BII and Itad study records the Berbera Economic Zone as a special economic zone 15 km from the port along the Berbera Corridor.
- The same study places Phase 1 port works as completed at the end of 2021 and says the economic zone's impact is still under way.
- Phase 2, reaching 2 million TEU by extending the quay to 1,000 m, is DP World's plan as summarised in the study and its timing is called uncertain.
Contents
British International Investment and Itad, in an evaluation study dated December 2025, record that the Berbera port investment includes the Berbera Economic Zone, a special economic zone located 15 km from the port along the Berbera Corridor. The same study places Phase 1 of the port expansion as completed in 2021 and lists the zone under supporting investments.
What the source records
The study records that Phase 1 was completed in 2021: draught deepened to 17 m, a 400 m quay, three ship-to-shore gantry cranes, eight rubber-tyred gantry cranes and a 25-hectare terminal yard, with container capacity rising from 150,000 TEU to 500,000 TEU, as stated in British International Investment / Itad. It adds that the investment includes the Berbera Economic Zone, 15 km from the port along the Berbera Corridor, and that the zone's impact remains under way.
What it means on site
A 15 km separation between quay and zone is a road movement, not a walking one, so haulage, gate queuing and the condition of the corridor link can decide how fast cargo clears. A builder or engineer looking at industrial plots, warehouses or hardstanding near the zone can ask what the corridor link carries and how drainage and dust are handled in the dry season. The source stops short of describing zone plots, services or tenants.
What the source does not establish
The source does not record zone plot sizes, internal roads, power or water connections, or any completion date for the zone; whether any building work has started is not established. Its economic figures are modelled estimates for 2024. Phase 2, which the study summarises as reaching 2 million TEU by extending the quay to 1,000 m with more gantry cranes, is DP World's plan, and the study calls its timing uncertain.
What to do next
Ask the Berbera Economic Zone or Somaliland's port and free zone authorities for the zone's current master plan, plot allocation list and service drawings, and ask what road, drainage and power works are built. Request the documents in writing and check any dates against the record itself.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the Berbera Economic Zone from the port?
The December 2025 BII and Itad study records it at 15 km from the port along the Berbera Corridor.
Is the economic zone finished?
The study records it under supporting investments and says its impact remains under way; it gives no completion date for the zone.
What does the study say about Phase 2?
It summarises a plan to reach 2 million TEU by extending the quay to 1,000 m with additional gantry cranes, and calls the timing uncertain.
Sources
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Berbera and Somaliland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.