Berbera port operator DP World delivers on 2022 promise, deepening local investment beyond trade and logistics
Global port operator DP World has inaugurated a new $250,000 science laboratory at the Sheikh University of Science and Technology, completing a pledge made in 2022 to support higher education in the Republic of Somaliland.
The modern facility — equipped for research and practical instruction in petroleum engineering, hydrology, environmental science, and information technology — was formally handed over Monday in a ceremony attended by government officials, educators, and community leaders.
“This project reflects DP World’s belief that education drives sustainable growth,” said Supachai Wattanaveerachai, CEO of DP World Horn of Africa. “We are confident that this new laboratory will strengthen science education, open opportunities for students, and create long-term impact for the community.”
Linking Port Growth to Human Capital
The new science lab underscores the Dubai-based company’s growing role not only as a logistics powerhouse but also as a driver of social investment in Somaliland — a self-governing democracy that restored its independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains internationally unrecognized.
DP World’s partnership with Somaliland began in 2016, when the firm signed a landmark $442 million, 30-year concession to manage and expand Berbera Port, transforming the once-sleepy coastal town into a strategic trade hub on the Gulf of Aden.
Since then, the company has developed the Berbera Economic Zone, launched road-link projects connecting Berbera to Ethiopia, and announced an edible oil terminal to boost local manufacturing.
Company officials say the Sheikh University laboratory represents a natural extension of that investment — a way to ensure that local talent can match the pace of industrial growth.
“Trade and education are two sides of the same coin,” Wattanaveerachai said. “The next generation of Somaliland’s engineers, environmental scientists, and IT specialists will be the ones running the infrastructure we’re building today.”
“A Catalyst for Innovation”
Local educators welcomed the lab as a long-awaited breakthrough in Somaliland’s higher education landscape.
“For years, our students in engineering and environmental sciences have learned from textbooks without the tools to conduct meaningful experiments,” said Professor Ahmed Mohamed, a dean at Sheikh University. “This laboratory changes that paradigm. It’s not just a room with equipment — it’s a catalyst for innovation.”
Faculty members say the lab will enable students to analyze soil, water, and energy resources crucial to Somaliland’s development, giving them the tools to pursue research once possible only abroad.
“We can finally train students to address local challenges — water scarcity, sustainable mining, renewable energy — using real instruments, not just theory,” Mohamed added.
Broader Development Context
Analysts say DP World’s educational outreach illustrates how corporate investment can strengthen fragile economies that lack broad international aid.
“DP World’s commercial interests in Berbera are obvious, but this type of educational investment addresses a fundamental national need,” said Fatima Ahmed, a Horn of Africa analyst based in Nairobi. “By building scientific capacity, they are helping Somaliland produce a workforce that can sustain not just the port but the broader economy.”
Somaliland’s government has repeatedly emphasized that foreign investment, paired with local skill-building, is central to its development strategy. Education, officials argue, is the foundation of that model.
Students See a Future at Home
For students, the new laboratory represents more than an academic upgrade — it’s a signal that their future could be built in Somaliland rather than abroad.
“Before, we watched videos of labs in other countries,” said Ayanle Adan, a second-year petroleum engineering student. “Now we have our own. It makes our education real and shows that someone believes in our future here.”
The laboratory is part of DP World’s broader education portfolio in Somaliland, which includes scholarship programs at Abaarso Secondary School and Barwaqo University, aimed at preparing young Somalilanders for careers in logistics, science, and management.
As the new science center opened its doors this week, local leaders framed the project as proof that foreign investment — when tied to education — can yield lasting dividends.
“Infrastructure builds economies,” said one Somaliland education official at the event. “But education builds nations.”
Background: DP World’s Berbera Footprint
- 2016: DP World signs a 30-year concession with Somaliland to manage and expand Berbera Port.
- 2018–2021: Construction of a new 400-meter container terminal, doubling capacity to 500,000 TEUs per year.
- 2022: Launch of the Berbera Economic Zone — a free trade and manufacturing hub linked by highway to Ethiopia.
- 2023–2025: Rollout of community investments including schools, scholarships, and the newly opened Sheikh University Science Lab.