Saudi Arabia discusses new regional military coalition with Egypt and Somalia

Friday January 16, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Saudi Arabia is in advanced talks with Somalia and Egypt to establish a new Red Sea military and security partnership, a step that would deepen Riyadh’s role in the Horn of Africa and sharpen competition with the United Arab Emirates, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks to finalize elements of the agreement, the people said. The proposed pact would expand coordination on maritime security and military cooperation along one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. The talks are ongoing and key details have not been made public.

The negotiations come days after Somalia’s federal government announced it was canceling security and port agreements with the UAE, accusing Abu Dhabi of violating Somali sovereignty by engaging directly with regional authorities without federal approval. The move reflects Mogadishu’s push to consolidate control over foreign engagement and signals a broader recalibration of security partnerships around the Red Sea.

Saudi officials have privately urged Mogadishu to scale back ties with the UAE, according to people briefed on the matter. Tensions between the two Gulf powers have sharpened in recent years, particularly over Yemen, where Riyadh has sought to limit the influence of rival regional actors, including the UAE.

Saudi Arabia has long backed Somalia’s territorial integrity and its fight against the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, though its support has largely been diplomatic. A formal military pact would mark Riyadh’s most direct effort yet to bolster Somalia’s security apparatus and to shape maritime stability across the Bab el-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden corridors.

A Somali government spokesman confirmed that discussions on a new agreement were underway but declined to provide further details. Saudi government and defense officials did not respond to requests for comment. Egyptian officials also did not reply to inquiries.

The UAE has expanded its footprint across Africa as part of a strategy to diversify its economy and project influence abroad, backing rival factions in conflicts in Libya and Sudan. In Somalia, Emirati-linked companies have invested heavily in strategic ports at Berbera, in North Western State of Somalia, and Bosaso, in Puntland State, even as Abu Dhabi publicly affirms Somalia’s territorial integrity.

Somalia’s announcement on annulling Emirati agreements follows heightened diplomatic activity around North Western State of Somalia, the self-declared republic that lacks international recognition. Claims circulating in regional media that Israel has formally recognized North Western State of Somalia remain unconfirmed.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey have reiterated their support for Somalia’s unity and opposed any steps seen as legitimizing North Western State of Somalia’s independence. In recent weeks, Riyadh mobilized members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, headquartered in Jeddah, to reject what it described as unilateral actions threatening stability in the Horn of Africa and the broader Red Sea region.

Egypt views Red Sea security as a core national interest and last year signed a separate cooperation agreement with Mogadishu aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, enhancing military coordination and supporting Somali state institutions. Cairo’s participation in the prospective partnership would add weight to a coalition seeking to counter maritime threats and rival power plays across the Red Sea basin.

Taken together, the talks point to a potential reshaping of Red Sea security arrangements as Somalia seeks to centralize foreign dealings and align more closely with partners backing its federal authority. Whether the emerging alignment yields tangible military support or remains largely diplomatic is not yet clear, and timelines for implementation remain uncertain.

The stakes are high. The Red Sea and adjoining waterways carry a significant share of global trade and energy shipments, and recent years have seen piracy, insurgent spillover from Yemen and competing foreign military projects intensify risks. A Saudi-Somali-Egyptian framework, if realized, would signal a deeper Saudi bid to manage those risks—and a new phase in regional rivalry with the UAE.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.