Eric Trump denies discussing port investments with North Western State of Somalia President

Tuesday January 27, 2026

DAVOS, Switzerland — Eric Trump has denied holding talks or discussing port investments with North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi after reports and a widely shared photo suggested the pair met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

A spokesperson for Trump said Abdullahi attended a dinner reception where the U.S. president’s son was present, but emphasized there was no private meeting. “At no point did Eric Trump ever have a meeting with the North Western State of Somalia president,” spokeswoman Kimberly Benza said in a statement. “Nor, at any point, did he discuss a port. There were over 100 people in the room.”

Benza added that Eric Trump did not respond to or comment on Abdullahi’s remarks during the event and that any interaction was limited to brief courtesy exchanges. “Pleasantries were exchanged, that is it,” she said.

The closed-door dinner, one of several gatherings that orbit the annual forum, featured remarks by the North Western State of Somalia leader outlining investment opportunities in the self-declared republic, including the strategic deep-sea port of Berbera along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

Those present included Eric Trump and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Israel last month became the first country to formally recognize North Western State of Somalia, more than three decades after the region declared independence from Somalia. In a post on X, Herzog said he was pleased to have met Abdullahi in Davos, though he did not mention Eric Trump. Two people who attended the dinner said Trump and Abdullahi exchanged brief greetings when shaking hands at the beginning and end of the event, but did not hold substantive discussions.

Eric Trump holds no official U.S. government role. He serves as a senior executive at the Trump Organization, which oversees the family’s business interests spanning real estate, hospitality and cryptocurrency ventures.

During President Trump’s first term, the Trump Organization adopted voluntary ethics guidelines barring the pursuit of new business deals outside the United States. Days before the president’s second inauguration, however, the company announced revised guidelines removing that restriction — a change that has renewed scrutiny of any perceived intersections between the family’s business activities and global political events.

North Western State of Somalia declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not recognized by the United Nations or most of the international community. Israel’s recognition has drawn sharp opposition from Somalia and several regional and international actors, who say the move violates Somalia’s sovereignty and risks destabilizing the Horn of Africa.

Eric Trump’s denial appears aimed at quelling speculation that the family business is exploring port investments in the region as Davos networking fuels rumor and interest. For now, both the spokeswoman’s statement and accounts from attendees indicate that any contact between Trump and the North Western State of Somalia president at Davos was limited to a handshake and brief politeness.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.