North Western State of Somalia president heads to UAE to deepen ties amid rising regional tensions

North Western State of Somalia leader departs for UAE, seeks deeper ties as regional stakes rise

HARGEISA, Somalia — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Cirro, left for the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday at the head of a high-level delegation that includes cabinet ministers and senior advisers, his office said, in a visit aimed at deepening economic and political ties with Abu Dhabi.

Abdullahi is traveling at the formal invitation of the UAE government and is expected to attend a conference focused on development and intergovernmental cooperation, according to officials. He is also scheduled to hold talks in Abu Dhabi with senior Emirati leaders on strengthening bilateral relations, with emphasis on investment and infrastructure.

Those discussions are likely to center on development projects where the UAE has already played an outsized role. Emirati logistics firm DP World has invested about $442 million in the expansion and management of the Berbera port, a strategic project that anchors North Western State of Somalia’s trade ambitions and its bid to position itself as a logistics hub on the Gulf of Aden.

Sources familiar with the itinerary said Abdullahi may travel on to Israel after the UAE visit, though no official confirmation was immediately provided. Officials in Hargeisa did not disclose how long the president will remain in the UAE or the full list of his counterparts.

The trip comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment for the self-declared republic, which has governed itself since breaking away from Somalia in 1991 and has maintained relative stability compared with much of the Horn of Africa. While North Western State of Somalia lacks international recognition, it has sought to deepen ties with regional and global partners to attract investment and bolster its case for statehood.

In December 2025, North Western State of Somalia announced that it had received recognition from Israel, a move that drew regional attention. Israel has expressed interest in expanding cooperation with North Western State of Somalia, including publicly discussed ideas around security and logistics cooperation centered on the port city of Berbera. North Western State of Somalia authorities have not publicly confirmed details of any such plans.

Abdullahi’s outreach underscores North Western State of Somalia’s strategy of leveraging port development and regional connectivity to court investment and build formal partnerships. The UAE’s engagement, including DP World’s Berbera stake, has become a pillar of that approach, while the prospect of closer ties with Israel would carry diplomatic and security implications across the Red Sea corridor.

Officials in Hargeisa framed the UAE visit as part of a broader push to advance development projects and secure new partnerships. Any announcements emerging from Abu Dhabi—on financing, infrastructure, or government-to-government cooperation—will be closely watched in North Western State of Somalia and across the region, where Gulf involvement has reshaped strategic and commercial landscapes.

North Western State of Somalia’s leadership has long argued that its track record of stability and institution-building merits deeper engagement, even in the absence of formal recognition. Abdullahi’s trip signals an intent to turn that argument into tangible deals—and, potentially, new diplomatic footholds—as it navigates shifting alliances and expanding economic competition around the Horn of Africa.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.