Active Development AidData Chinese Aid

China Eximbank pledges to finance the Hassan Gouled Aptidon International Airport and Ahmed Dini Ahmed International Airport Construction Projects in Djibouti

Funder	Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank)
Recipient Organization	Government of Djibouti
Country	Djibouti
Start Date	Jan 01, 2015
End Date	Dec 03, 2026
Duration	4,354 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`52467`

Grant Description

According to Reuters reporting, on 20 January 2015, President of Djibouti Ismaël Omar Guelleh laid a foundation stone for construction of two new airports: the Hassan Gouled Aptidon International Airport and Ahmed Dini Ahmed International Airport. The total cost of building these two airports is $599 million USD.

Some sources suggest that China Eximbank offered financial support for this the project, while others identify CCECC itself as the financier; however, is is unclear how this project was ultimately financed.

In 2015, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) signed implementation contracts for these two airports.

Dijbouti's government launched the construction of the Ali-Sabieh International Airport and Seven Brothers Islands' Airport on January 21, 2015. However, on 24 October 2017, the Government of Djibouti announced that it would be re-tendering the contracts.

CCECC was allowed to participate in the re-tender but had "no exclusivity", according to the chairman of Djibouti's Ports and Free Zones Authority (DPZA), Aboubaker Omar Hadi. Foundation stones for the two new airports were laid in early 2015, but evidently the process has been waylaid. No reason was given for the move to re-tender.

The first airport, named Hassan Gouled Aptidon International Airport after Djibouti’s first president, is located in Ali-Sabieh, 25 km south of the capital.

It will reportedly be capable of catering for 1.5 million passengers and 100,000 tons of air cargo per year, and accommodating all modern commercial aircraft including the giant Airbus 380. It was expected to be operational by 2018. The current expected completion date is 31 December 2020.

The second airport, Ahmed Dini Ahmed International Airport, named after the former prime minister, is located in the north of Djibouti and is designed to handle up to 767,400 passengers per year. It was expected to open its doors in 2016. The two new airports were expected to create approximately 2,000 jobs during construction and operation.

It is also expected to be completed by 31 December 2020.

📋 Staff Comments

1. As of July 2023, there is no official evidence of commitment or fund disbursement/implementation for this project. Therefore, the project is set to Pipeline: Pledge for the time being.

📚 Sources & References

Djibouti starts building two Chinese-funded airports
Two new airports given go ahead in Djibouti
Not just one, but two new airports for Djibouti
Two Djibouti airports planned, with Chinese funding
China’s Experiment in Djibouti
From rail and airports to its first overseas naval base
China zeroes in on tiny Djibouti
Djibouti starts building two Chinese-funded airports
Challenges of and opportunities from the commodity price slump
Djibouti: 2016 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and ...
Djibouti: 2015 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report
Construction work begins on two new airports
Djibouti: Launch of two major infrastructure investments
Republic of Djibouti Business & Investment
China Railway Construction Corporation Limited 2015 annual report
Djibouti Re-Tendering Airport Contracts Given to Chinese Company
China Railway Construction Corporation Limited 2015 Interim report
Airport contracts to be re-tendered
Djibouti : 2016 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Djibouti
Towards a Globally Integrated Infrastructure Framework
Ali-Sabieh Hassan Gouled Aptidon International Airport
Seven Brothers Islands' Ahmed Dini Ahmed International Airport Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.