Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt and Djibouti have taken a significant step toward deepening their strategic partnership in renewable energy and sustainable development with the inauguration of a new solar power station in the Arta region of Djibouti. The project underscores growing cooperation between the two countries in infrastructure, clean energy, and regional development across the Horn of Africa.
The solar power station was inaugurated in the village of Omar Kegah in Arta by Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel El-Wazir, during the first leg of his official visit to Djibouti. The ceremony was attended by Djiboutian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Younes Ali Guedi, Minister of Infrastructure and Equipment Hassan Hamad Ibrahim, senior government officials, members of parliament, regional authorities, diplomats from both countries, and local residents.
In his remarks, El-Wazir described the project as a tangible expression of the deep historical and fraternal ties between Egypt and Djibouti, as well as the strong political will of both leaderships to elevate bilateral relations to a more advanced level of practical and comprehensive development partnership. He conveyed the greetings of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Egyptian government to Djibouti’s leadership and people on the occasion of inaugurating what he called a landmark development project.
El-Wazir noted that the project directly translates the outcomes of President El-Sisi’s landmark visit to Djibouti in April 2025, which marked a new phase of cooperation between the two countries, particularly in priority sectors such as energy, infrastructure, industrial development, and the green economy. He emphasized that the visit reflected a shared strategic vision aimed at promoting sustainable development in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa region, based on the belief that security, stability, and development in the area represent a common strategic interest.
The Egyptian minister stressed that the solar power station goes beyond electricity generation, serving instead as a cornerstone for improving quality of life, supporting local economic activity, and expanding reliance on clean and renewable energy sources in line with global sustainability goals. He added that the project reflects Egypt’s broader commitment to supporting African partners through capacity building, knowledge transfer, and the delivery of practical, high-impact development solutions.
El-Wazir also highlighted that the project opens the door to wider cooperation in renewable energy technologies, which Egypt is actively localizing as part of its industrial development strategy. He noted that the initiative creates new opportunities for Egyptian companies to participate in development and investment projects in Djibouti, contributing to job creation, technology transfer, skills development, and deeper economic integration between the two countries.
The project, he added, represents effective coordination among Egyptian institutions, particularly the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy and the Arab Organization for Industrialization, working alongside their Djiboutian counterparts in a partnership model based on mutual respect and shared benefit.
For his part, Djiboutian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Younes Ali Guedi expressed strong appreciation for Egypt’s support, describing the inauguration as a milestone achieved only months after the laying of the foundation stone. He welcomed the Egyptian delegation and thanked the Egyptian government and people for financing the project, noting that it is the largest solar power station completed to date in rural Djibouti.
The plant has a peak capacity of 300 kilowatts and is equipped with an energy storage system of 1.29 megawatt-hours, enabling reliable electricity supply to the village and surrounding areas. Guedi praised the quality of execution and advanced technologies used, including remote monitoring systems that allow operations to be supervised from the capital.
He described the station as a living example of the strength of Djibouti–Egypt relations under the leadership of President Ismail Omar Guelleh and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, calling it a successful model of a sustainable, mutually beneficial strategic partnership. The project, he added, aligns with Djibouti’s national program to electrify remote villages and expand access to energy in rural communities.
The solar station is part of a broader framework of bilateral cooperation agreed following President El-Sisi’s 2025 visit. The Djiboutian Ministry of Energy serves as the strategic partner responsible for identifying local needs and facilitating implementation, while Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy leads technical planning. The Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development provided the main financing, and the Arab Organization for Industrialization executed the project with technical support from regional and international partners.
Officials from both sides affirmed that the project marks a foundation for future cooperation in renewable energy across Djibouti, reinforcing the role of clean power as a driver of sustainable development, regional stability, and stronger African partnerships.
