The world in a jobsite

A multinational team from 16 countries is building the Doraleh Container Terminal in the Port of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa

It is a land of mountain ranges and saltwater lakes. The largest of these is Lac Assal, the saltiest body of water in the world, as well as the lowest point in Africa – 156 m below sea level. Salt crystals build up on its shores to form a unique and unforgettable landscape. The climate is torrid: the temperature can reach 550C, and frequently does. The beautiful scenery is veiled by a constant haze of desert sand.

The French arrived here in the late 1850s, when this small parcel of land (23,000 sq.km, the size of the Brazilian state of Sergipe or the US state of Massachusetts) was occupied exclusively by members of the Afar and Isa ethnic groups. French Somalia emerged in 1888, and became independent in 1977. We are in Djibouti, a Muslim country in the easternmost region of the continent, known as the Horn of Africa. This is where Odebrecht is taking part in a project that is crucial for the socioeconomic development of a little-known country of 700,000 inhabitants, 80% of whom live in the capital, Djibouti City.

When the Odebrecht Informa team arrived in Djibouti in late September, the weather was mild by local standards, somewhere in the region of 380C, and local residents were thankful. Ramadan had begun two weeks earlier. This is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims fast (even going without water) from dawn to dusk every day. At the end of each day, they break their fast with a communal dinner called Iftar. Ramadan is all about separating one’s material and spiritual bodies in the worship of God. In people’s homes, restaurants and the countless cafés in Djibouti City, Iftar celebrations filled the streets with voices, light and good cheer.

Most of the buildings in this city are old, squat, and generally run-down. Some might be reminded of Havana. And just like residents of the Cuban capital, Djiboutians like to sit at tables and chat in groups in the innumerable sidewalk cafés. They are a hospitable, relaxed and talkative people. The city is perfectly safe. There is no need to be afraid to walk the streets at any time of day or night. It is a peaceful place. And even the constant presence of soldiers from the French Foreign Legion, which has a base in the city and even includes Brazilians in its ranks, fails to dispel the feeling that violence is not a problem in Djibouti.

But there is a different kind of problem: the lack of infrastructure facilities in a range of sectors, including transportation, energy, sanitation, education and health. Djibouti is a poor country. Making the country grow and thereby improving its people’s quality of life is the main challenge that President Ismael Omar Guelleh and his government are striving to overcome. The main gateway for the long-awaited dawn of a new age of prosperity is well known to everyone who is familiar with the life of this nation: it is the Port of Djibouti. Facing the Gulf of Aden, it mainly services Red Sea shipping, which makes it highly strategic on the global scene. Most of the world’s oil production passes through it. Furthermore, its neighbor Ethiopia, a landlocked nation of 80 million, needs the Port of Djibouti like a person needs oxygen.

A crucial project
The Doraleh Container Terminal, a project that Odebrecht has been building as a joint venture with a local contractor, Soprim, since September 2006, will enhance the port’s importance by increasing its cargo storage capacity and streamlining its operations. The result of a total investment of USD 300 million, this is a key project for Djibouti’s development and is coming into being with the help of workers of 16 nationalities – mainly Djiboutians, and also including Indians, Brazilians, Ethiopians and Philippine nationals.

Although they come from 16 countries, they speak even more languages. Some countries have more than one official language, such as India, where the most widely spoken languages are Hindi and Urdu, and Djibouti, whose official languages are Arabic and French. This linguistic diversity is impressive, but religious differences are the other side of the cultural mosaic that is the Odebrecht jobsite in Djibouti. People praying towards Mecca, the holy city of Islam in Saudi Arabia, are a frequent sight. During prayer times, the work stops, thanks to an agreement between the workers and the company. And there are not only Muslims working on the project but Hindus, Protestants, and Catholics (Roman and Greek Orthodox). The variety of languages and religions also extends to the cuisine. For example, some of the 650 workers building the project are vegetarians.

Some scenes of daily life that are completely routine for the people involved give an accurate reflection of this great cultural melting pot. One morning in late September, in the hallway of the jobsite’s offices, Raul Sánchez spoke to a co-worker in Spanish, asking him to send him a PDF file. Nearby, Gashaw Tarekegn, Lema Alehegn and Edom Tafesse were conversing in the Ethiopian language. Rahma Amoud was sitting at her desk, booking flight tickets over the phone in English. Minutes later, Bruno dell’Aquila turned up and explained in French and English the importance of drinking plenty of water when working in intense heat. In an office just a few yards away, Farid Dallal and Pedro Miguel da Silva were speaking Portuguese with different accents, respectively from São Paulo City and northern Portugal.

Raul is a Colombian engineer from the city of Barranquilla. Gashaw, Lema and Edom are Ethiopian technicians. Rahma, a secretary, is Djiboutian. Bruno is a French physician of Italian origin, born in Marseilles. Farid is a Brazilian of Lebanese parentage, and Pedro is Portuguese – both are engineers.

“What we have here is a major communication challenge,” says Project Director Gustavo Guerra. “There are people of several nationalities working together on this jobsite, and we always make a strong and unwavering effort to ensure and maintain harmony. Here, the best communicators achieve the greatest success.” Members in leadership positions speak at least two languages fluently. Safety bulletins are produced in five languages. “Working in Djibouti has been a tremendous learning experience for Odebrecht,” says Ciro Barbosa, the officer Responsible for Planning and People Development in CEO Alessandro Gomes’s organization. Alessandro’s team is based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Middle East, from where Odebrecht’s work in Djibouti is coordinated. The two countries are just three hours apart by plane, a flight that crosses part of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

“A port-city”
All these efforts to streamline communication at the jobsite are in the service of Odebrecht’s client for this project, Dubai Ports World (DP World). The company that operates the Port of Djibouti, it is based in Dubai, in the UAE. DP World is a subsidiary of Dubai World, a holding company owned by the Government of Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates. This is Odebrecht’s second project for that client. Between 2004 and 2005, the contracting company also built a fuel terminal for DP World in the Port of Djibouti.

DP World made the decision to invest in the Port of Djibouti in 2002. Several factors led the UAE company to work in that country, including the port’s strategic location, its importance for Ethiopia and, above all, DP World’s perception of the Government of Djibouti’s keen interest in trade.

“Dubai and Djibouti have an excellent relationship, and both their governments have a strong focus on trade and economic development,” underscores DP World Vice President Adnan Al Abbar. “The expansion of this port, which will enable it to operate along the lines of the best ports in the world, will have a highly positive impact on society.” Regarding Odebrecht, with which DP World is sharing its second project, Adnan Al Abbar observes: “This company has qualified and dedicated teams and capable leaders. Each Odebrecht member acts like an ambassador for the company.”

Djiboutian business leader Abdourahman Boreh has played a decisive role in establishing closer relations between his country’s government and Dubai. He helped initiate dialogue between the two countries and encouraged DP World to establish a presence in Djibouti. “Thanks to the new container terminal, Djibouti will become a major player in this region,” he says. “Its operational efficiency and attractive costs will make it the choice of new clients. Djibouti is a port-city. The city was born from the port, and not the other way around. Following its expansion, we will develop a ’free zone’ (a free-trade area that provides logistics, importation and storage facilities for clients at the port), tourism, services and the airport, and then we will have more homes and schools for the people who live in this city.”

With unemployment at 65% in Djibouti, the port is its main source of revenue. As Boreh, the Chairman of Soprim, Odebrecht’s partner on the Doraleh Container Terminal project, observes: “Djibouti needs projects like this one, in other words, projects that are socially significant, create work opportunities and provide other social benefits on a wide scale.”

Global standards of quality
The Dominican engineer Juan Carlos Sahdala, from DP World, was the supervising engineer for Odebrecht’s first project in Djibouti, where he lived for two years. Now based in Dubai, he is in charge of DP World projects in five ports in three world regions: Europe (Great Britain and Turkey), the Americas (Peru and the Dominican Republic) and Africa (Djibouti). Juan Carlos is thoroughly familiar with the ins and outs of working in Djibouti. Just about everything has to be imported, from screws to large-scale equipment, a challenge that can only be overcome by planning procurement in advance. The climate is another major challenge. Concrete can only be mixed at night because of the scorching daytime temperatures. Special procedures are required when painting to ensure that the dust does not compromise quality. “The lessons we learned on the first project were important to carrying out the second one,” says Juan Carlos, who believes that the basis for surmounting these barriers is made up of synergy, a shared commitment to achieving set goals, and complementary expertise. “For us, Odebrecht is more than just a contractor,” he observes. “We have a relationship of partnership and trust.”

Abu Dhabi International Airport: new runway completed

This combination of expertise and principles is making it possible to build a facility that will enable the Port of Djibouti to achieve global standards of quality and handle large vessels (up to 180,000 tonnes). The Doraleh Container Terminal quay will be 1,050-m long and 36-m wide. It will also be equipped with a 36,000-sq.m yard and a causeway (access road) that will be 2,050-m long and 36-m wide. The terminal is designed to store up to 2 million containers annually.

Doraleh container terminal

Multicultural team
Like Odebrecht, DP World has a multinational team stationed in Djibouti. Also like Odebrecht, DP World has a strong global presence, operating 42 ports and developing another 12 in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. “DP World is a global client,” sums up Odebrecht CEO Alessandro Gomes. “And Odebrecht wants to serve this client everywhere we can add value to their projects, such as Djibouti, where the logistical challenges are huge, as well as in the other countries where Odebrecht is already present, where we can place our existing structure at the client’s disposal.”

Speaking in his office at Odebrecht’s Abu Dhabi offices in the UAE, Alessandro underscores the philosophical similarities between Odebrecht and DP World. “These are organizations whose line officers have decision-making powers,” he observes. “We discuss things directly, plainly and frankly. At DP World, just as in Odebrecht, people are proud to belong to their company. Everyone has team spirit and values ethical business practices and quality relationships.”

Alessandro believes that Odebrecht’s current experience in Djibouti is a shining example of the application of the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO) in Odebrecht’s current business growth cycle, due to the cultural diversity involved. “Muslims, Hindus and Christians, as well as people who are accustomed to different working systems, are working side by side at the Djibouti jobsite. It is crucial for us to get to know and understand different people and cultures. We now have a multicultural team that is working on its second project on the basis of TEO.”

Stories of perseverance and integration

The key factor for ensuring that all this diversity resulted in integration and entrepreneurial accomplishments was bringing together experienced professionals, seasoned Odebrecht members, people with specific knowledge of the local and regional markets, and young people with excellent foreign language skills. And all of these people had to be willing to immerse themselves in the local culture. The overarching reason for these efforts is meeting the client’s needs on time with the requisite quality. “I believe we are experiencing a model in Djibouti that can be replicated throughout our organization,” says Alessandro Gomes.

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