The National published on 30 December 2025 an article titled "Egypt Finalises Deal to Develop Djibouti's Port in Bid to Pressure Ethiopia over Nile Dam" by Hamza Hendawi.
Egypt will upgrade Djibouti's Doraleh port and Eritrea's strategic Red Sea port of Assab to increase their capacity and create berths for warships and small military contingents. This is part of Egypt's strategy to build alliances with Ethiopia's neighbors and develop support for its position on Nile water disagreements.