UAE1

General Information

National Identity

Official Language(s)Arabic, French

National CurrencyDjiboutian Franc (DJF)

National Day(s)27 June (Independence Day)

Capitals

Political / Administrative CapitalDjibouti

Economic CapitalDjibouti

Cultural CapitalDjibouti

Transport & Connectivity

Flight Duration from the UAE≈ 3 – 3.5 h Direct flights

Primary AirportDjibouti–Ambouli International Airport (JIB)

Primary PortPort of Djibouti

Geography

Land Area-

Length of the CoastlineAbout 314 km

Highest PointMount Moussa Ali (2,028 m)

Primary Inland Water Body / RiverLake Assal (Africa’s lowest point; one of the world’s saltiest lakes) and Lake Abbe (shared with Ethiopia)

ClimateHot desert/semi-arid; among the hottest climates in the world

Border Countries

EritreaEthiopiaSomalia

3

Last Updated: July 2026Source: Internal Research

Key Facts

Djibouti lies beside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major maritime gateway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and international shipping routes.

Djibouti hosts Camp Lemonnier, the only enduring United States military installation in Africa.

Djibouti is home to the headquarters of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, a regional organization known as IGAD.

Commercial operations on the modern railway connecting Djibouti with Addis Ababa were launched in 2018.

The Djibouti International Free Trade Zone opened in 2018, with plans for the full development to cover about 4,800 hectares.

Djibouti’s transport network is vital to neighboring Ethiopia, which relies on Djibouti for the transit of more than 90% of its international trade.

Djibouti is an important digital gateway because several major international submarine internet cables land in the country.

The Ardoukoba volcano erupted in November 1978, producing lava flows after thousands of years without a known eruption.

The Abourma rock art site contains nearly three kilometers of prehistoric engravings showing humans, wild animals, livestock, hunting and combat.

Whale sharks gather seasonally in the Gulf of Tadjoura, making Djibouti an important location for studying and observing the world’s largest fish.

Day Forest in the Goda Mountains protects one of Djibouti’s few remaining ancient Afromontane forest areas and is an important refuge for endemic wildlife.

The Moucha and Maskali Islands contain coral reefs, mangroves and diverse marine wildlife, including turtles and manta rays.

Last Updated: July 2026Source: Internal Research

Economic Overview

Macroeconomic Snapshot

GDP, current prices-USD Billions

Real GDP growth-Annual percent change (%)

GDP per capita, current prices-USD per capita

Population-Millions of people

General government gross debt-% of GDP

Income levelWorld Bank classification-

Economic Comparison

Indicator	Djibouti	UAE
GDP, current pricesUSD Billions	-	-
GDP, PPPCurrent int$	-	-
Real GDP growthAnnual percent change (%)	-	-
GDP per capita, current pricesUSD per capita	-	-
PopulationMillions of people	-	-
Unemployment rate% of total labor force	-	-
Inflation rate (avg. consumer prices)Annual percent change (%)	-	-
General government gross debt% of GDP	-	-
Income levelWorld Bank classification	-	-

Foreign Trade

No data available for this section yet.

Political Overview

Leadership

Head of State

H.E. Ismail Omar Guelleh

Since May 1999

Head of Government

H.E. Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed

Since April 2013

Minister of Foreign Affairs

H.E. Abdoulkader Houssein Omar

Since April 2025

Minister of Finance

H.E. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh

Since May 2011

Minister of Trade

H.E. Orbis Helaf Orbis

Since May 2026

Minister of Economy

H.E. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh

Since May 2011

Minister of Defense

H.E. Hassan Omar Mohamed Bourhan

Since May 2019

Political Summary

Political System

Unitary Presidential Republic.

Djibouti operates as a dominant-party state. The President serves as both Head of State and Head of Government, exercising extensive executive control. While a Prime Minister is appointed to head the Council of Ministers, real governing power is concentrated almost exclusively within the presidency.

Ruling Party

Union for a Presidential Majority (UMP): Big-tent coalition, which includes:People’s Rally for Progress (RPP): Centre-left (has ruled uninterrupted since 1979)Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD): Centre-leftSocial Democratic People’s Party (PSD): Centre-leftUnion of Reform Partisans (UPR): Centre-left

Main Opposition Force(s)

Union for Democracy and Justice – Djiboutian Democratic Party (UDJ-PDD): Centre-leftCentre for United Democrats (CDU): Centrist

Next Presidential Election

Expected in April 2031

Next Legislative Election

February 2028

Last Updated: May 2026Source: Internal Research

Membership in Key Organizations and Blocs

51Organizations

34Member

2Founding Member

4Partner, Observer or Participant

11Not a Member

Last Updated: July 2026Source: Official websites of the respective organizations

Competitiveness Indexes

Index	Year	Rank Out of	Djibouti	UAE

No index matches.

Diplomatic Relations and Representation

Date of Establishment of Diplomatic Relations16 Nov 197452 years of relations

UAE Ambassador

Mr. Salem Al ShamsiUAE Consul General in Djibouti · Resident

Foreign Ambassador

H.E. Moussa Mohamed AhmedAmbassador of Djibouti to the UAE · Resident

Last Updated: June 2026Source: MoFA; Internal Research

Flights by UAE Carriers

Passenger Flights

October 2026 figures

0Total Weekly Passenger Flights

EYEtihad Airways0

EKEmirates0

FZflydubai0

G9Air Arabia0

Cargo Flights

October 2026 figures

0Total Weekly Cargo Flights

EYEtihad Cargo0

EKEmirates SkyCargo0

Last Updated: October 2026Source: GCAA

Consular Information

	Tourists	Residents	Students	Golden Visa Holders
Djibouti Nationalsin the UAE	-	-	-	-
UAE Citizensin Djibouti	-	-	-	-

Main Agreements and MoUs

Agreement / MOU	Status	Notes
CEPAComprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement	-	-
IPPAInvestment Protection and Promotion Agreement	-	-
DTADouble Taxation Avoidance Agreement	-	-
ASAAir Services Agreement	Signed	Air Transport Services Agreement was signed on 31 Jul 2013.MoU on open skies air services was signed on 10 Feb 2011.

Ratified— Signed and entered into force

Signed— Signed, but entry into force or ratification is pending

Not Signed— No signed agreement exists

Last Updated: April 2026Source: Internal Research

UAE Foreign Assistance

UAE Aid to Djibouti	Total Amount
Amount (USD Mn)	-

Bilateral Visits

Official Visits from the UAE

-

Official Visits to the UAE

H.E. Dileita Mohamed DileitaSpeaker of the National Assembly of Djibouti
Sep2024
H.E. Mahamoud Ali YoussoufMinister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti
Jul2024
H.E. Dileita Mohamed DileitaSpeaker of the National Assembly of Djibouti
Dec2023
H.E. Ismail Omar GuellehPresident of the Republic of Djibouti
May2022
H.E. Abdoulkader Kamil MohamedPrime Minister of Djibouti
Jan2022
H.E. Mahamoud Ali YoussoufMinister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti
May2017
H.E. Mahamoud Ali YoussoufMinister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti
Jan2016
H.E. Mahamoud Ali YoussoufMinister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti
Feb2015