Somalia’s President to Visit Saudi Arabia Amid Shifting Alliances
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to make an official visit to Saudi Arabia later this week, officials said, a trip aimed at consolidating ties with Riyadh as Mogadishu recalibrates its regional alliances across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
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Somali officials said the agenda will center on strengthening bilateral relations, regional cooperation and security coordination, with both governments looking to formalize a recent thaw and “new understanding” reached in exchanges over the past month.
The visit follows messages of solidarity between Mogadishu and Riyadh amid tensions linked to the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Somalia has publicly backed Saudi Arabia’s call for the UAE to end what Riyadh described as “interference in Yemen’s sovereignty,” aligning Mogadishu with the Saudi position on a flashpoint that reverberates across the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn.
For Somalia, the outreach to Saudi Arabia underscores a broader diplomatic push to secure partners as political shifts reshape Arab regional relations and redraw lines of influence along critical maritime corridors. The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden remain central to Somalia’s security and economic lifelines, from countering piracy and illicit trafficking to safeguarding trade routes and remittances.
Officials did not provide a detailed itinerary but said the talks are expected to reaffirm support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while exploring practical cooperation on security and regional stability. The Somali government has emphasized that durable partnerships in the Gulf are essential to its state-building agenda at home, including security-sector reforms and economic recovery.
President Mohamud’s planned visit to Saudi Arabia comes on the heels of recent diplomatic engagements with Djibouti and Turkey, where he sought broader backing for Somalia’s positions amid contested developments involving North Western State of Somalia. Mogadishu has been rallying partners to reinforce its stance and prevent moves it says undermine Somali sovereignty.
Riyadh and Mogadishu have a long history of political and cultural ties, anchored by trade, labor, and religious links. Somalia’s alignment with Saudi Arabia in regional disputes could open channels for increased cooperation but also demands careful navigation of Gulf rivalries, particularly as the United Arab Emirates continues to shape political and economic dynamics in parts of the Horn of Africa.
Somali officials framed the Saudi visit as part of a pragmatic strategy to lock in reliable partners at a time of overlapping crises—from the war in Yemen to shifting security arrangements in the Red Sea basin—that directly affect Somali interests. By reinforcing ties with Riyadh, Mogadishu is seeking assurances on security support and diplomatic cover while signaling its preferred camp in an evolving regional order.
The timing, officials said, is designed to leverage momentum from recent high-level contacts. Yet the stakes are also domestic: Somalia’s government is under pressure to deliver stability and growth amid persistent security threats and humanitarian needs. A visible alignment with Saudi Arabia offers immediate diplomatic dividends while testing Mogadishu’s ability to maintain constructive relations across a fragmented regional landscape.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
