Djibouti announces second major trade fair

The Chamber of Commerce of Djibouti (CCD) announced that the second edition of International Fair of Djibouti (IFD) 2018 will be held this coming December.
During the launching ceremony of the second edition of IFD 2018 on June 21 Youssouf Moussa Dawaleh, President of CCD, said that the second event will be held from December 3 to 10.
The Horn of African Chamber organized the time celebrating its 110th anniversary. It had hosted the first ever international trade fair and regional integration forum at Palais du Peuple from December 3 to 10, 2017.  It will be the held on the same exact days as last year.
Entitled “Djibouti gateway to Africa”, the first Fair was an excellent opportunity for the companies present to develop their business network and expand their customer portfolio.
It has been stated to be the biggest achievement in terms of attracting international actors and has grabbed the attention of media locally and internationally. It was also the first such event in the country.
Moussa Dawaleh says it launched the event in 2017. The large-scale commercial event brought together nearly 200 companies last December, of which 55 were foreign companies from some 20 countries. It generated more than 11,200 visits during the entire period of the fair.
“Through this International Fair, we wanted to open the Djiboutian market to new regional and international opportunities,” he said at the launching of the second IFD.
The CCD president says these events will enable companies in the Republic of Djibouti to gain a foothold in new markets and see future successful partnerships
Many foreign companies from Somalia, Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, France, China and India have already expressed their desire to participate in this second edition.
According to the CCD, participant registration has officially commenced.
“I invite you to register today to allow us to reserve you, at the earliest, a booth and according to your choices,” Moussa Dawaleh.
Previously the number of Ethiopian participants from the public and private sector were below expectations, despite the fact the two countries have the highest linkage in the economic and social arena. However high government officials have attended and event participated on the panel discussions held in relation with the trade fair.
The economy of Djibouti and the involvement of FDI has increased in the country during recent years.  The nation’s service sector particularly the logistics area is being aggressively developed. The private sector activity in the country with open market economy which includes the financial sector is seen as a good opportunity for the growing FDI in Djibouti.
On this upcoming occasion the participation of the Ethiopia Ethiopian business from the public enterprises and private sector is high because the event will be a good opportunity not only to enhance partnerships with Djibouti business but also business professionals globally.