“Qatar’s Mind-Boggling Offer to Serve as a Launching Pad for Somali Exports Leaves the World in Disbelief, Says President”

On Sunday May 21, 2023, Ayeni Olusegun reported that the President of Somalia, H E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, made a startling revelation during a business breakfast which took place in Qatar. According to him, Qatar has offered to act as a hub for Somali exports as the nation embarks on a journey of reconstruction and economic growth after ten grueling years of crisis resulting from terrorism and civil war. This move came as a result of the depth of ties between Qatar and Somalia and the openness of the latter to invest by Qatari businesspeople. Mohamud thanked Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for his support towards the Somali people, highlighting Qatar as one of their key strategic partners.

“Qatar is one of our strategic partners, and we have a lot of engagement with Qatar, including at the level where H H the Amir stands up and says, ‘I will advocate for Somalia.’ This is a rare gift available to the people of Somalia,” Mohamud said.

He also stated that Somalia is using the global influence of Qatar to expose itself to the rest of the world, with the Amir being a central figure for Somalia as he advocates for the country in the global arena, both multilaterally and bilaterally. The Somali leader further disclosed that Qatar has offered assistance until Somalia’s infrastructure is rebuilt and will act as a hub for Somalia’s exports in many areas which will facilitate and make it easy for Somalia to access global trade.

Mohamud also revealed that both nations have signed significant agreements, with partnerships focusing on key strategic issues like security, investment, diplomacy, and economic ties. Somalia’s president highlighted the extensive coastline, spreading over 3000km, as a key attraction, with Somalia aspiring to be a logistical hub for Africa. He also disclosed that Somalia aims to join East African Community (EAC) by year-end, to become the eighth member of the bloc.

In addition, Mohamed Massani, Co-founder and Chairman of KON Group, stated that Somalia is widely open to partnering and collaborating for a solid foundation to achieve economic goals and opportunities for innovation. He noted that despite all challenges, Somalia has enormous economic potential, and he’ll strongly advocate for more partnerships and collaboration that are mutually beneficial for Somalia.

Finally, the organizers of the business breakfast event announced the launch of the Somali Women Association Qatar and the Somali Cultural Centre Qatar, aimed at fostering greater cultural exchange and empowering Somali women worldwide. The future is bright for Somalia, fueled by strategic collaboration with partners such as Qatar.