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Med-Or hosts high-level dialogue on Djibouti and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Reflecting the growing strategic importance of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the seminar explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation on maritime infrastructure, subsea connectivity and energy resilience, while highlighting Djibouti’s role as a gateway linking Europe, Africa and Asia.
On June 23, 2026, the Med-Or Italian Foundation hosted at its headquarters in Rome a high-level seminar with H.E. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Minister of Economy and Finance, in charge of Industry, of the Republic of Djibouti.
Reflecting the growing strategic importance of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the seminar explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation on maritime infrastructure, subsea connectivity and energy resilience, while highlighting Djibouti’s role as a gateway linking Europe, Africa and Asia.
The seminar, entitled “Djibouti and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait: The Crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia”, brought together senior representatives from the Italian public sector, financial institutions, and leading industrial corporations to discuss Djibouti’s strategic vision for the Red Sea, the country’s development priorities, and bilateral cooperation.
Held under the Chatham House Rule, the discussion focused on the vital economic and security dynamics of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden corridor. Situated at the entrance of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Djibouti serves as a critical geostrategic hub linking European, African, and Asian markets, hosting one of the continent’s most significant concentrations of submarine cable landing stations.
During the roundtable, Minister Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh outlined Djibouti’s long-term economic development priorities, emphasizing the resilience of subsea digital networks, regional energy transmission interconnections, and port expansion initiatives to support expanding international trade flows.
The discussion underscored how the underwater domain – encompassing telecommunications cables, power grids, and maritime routes – has become essential to global financial stability, digital connectivity, and international security.
The event further underscored Med-Or’s commitment to promoting structured dialogue and advancing innovative projects with African countries, strengthening links between Italian technological capabilities in subsea engineering, shipbuilding, cybersecurity and energy infrastructure and strategic priorities across the Horn of Africa.
This seminar aligns with the objectives of Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa and the EU Global Gateway, reinforcing strategic partnerships across the Mediterranean, the Red Sea corridor, and the broader international landscape. It also reflects Med-Or’s commitment to fostering dialogue on the geopolitical, economic and technological transformations shaping the Mediterranean and strengthening cooperation between Europe, Africa and Asia.
