Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh officially inaugurated, on Monday, June 23, the new headquarters of the Ministry of Energy, responsible for Natural Resources. Erected in the heart of the Serpent Plateau, on the site of the old Djibouti train station, this brand new complex marks a major turning point in the modernization of the country’s administrative infrastructure.
Funded entirely by the Republic of Djibouti, the project mobilized an estimated budget of 4.8 billion Djiboutian francs (approximately 27 million US dollars) and required two years of work. Designed with the technical expertise of the China Communication Construction Company (CCCC), this construction project is part of a dynamic to strengthen the Djiboutian state in terms of energy autonomy and natural resource governance.
The complex covers an area of 5,000 m², spread between two buildings built to international construction standards. The first eight-story building houses the ministerial cabinet, administrative offices, as well as workspaces adapted for optimized departmental functioning. The second, rising five stories, is dedicated to the Djibouti International Hydrocarbons Company (SIHD) and has similar equipment in terms of technology and comfort.
Designed to meet the needs of a ministry with strategic missions, the new headquarters has numerous conference rooms, amphitheaters, and auditoriums, allowing it to host international seminars, expertise forums, and technical meetings.
A showcase of infrastructural sovereignty
President Guelleh welcomed this progress, stating that “these new arrangements finally put an end to a situation of service dispersion” and that “the state is thus equipped with a tool adapted to the country’s ambitions in the energy sector.”
The fact that this complex was entirely financed by public funds is a strong signal: it illustrates Djibouti’s determination to break free from dependence on external financing for its key infrastructure. The choice of a Chinese technical partner also reflects the pragmatism of the Djiboutian approach, combining budgetary discipline with openness to international expertise.
