Somalia signs defence pact with Saudi Arabia amid Gulf rivalries in Horn of Africa

Key facts

• Somali defence minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman signed a military cooperation agreement on 9 February 2026 on the sidelines of the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh.
• The Somali defence ministry stated the pact focuses on cooperation in training, technical assistance and defence support to strengthen the Somali National Armed Forces and protect Somalia’s airspace and territorial integrity.
• The agreement was signed around six weeks after Israel recognised Somaliland, the self-declared republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991 and is still claimed by Mogadishu as part of its sovereign territory.
• Somalia has terminated defence and security agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while expanding cooperation with other partners including Qatar.
• The UAE firm DP World is developing the Berbera port in Somaliland, a project Mogadishu says operates with little regard for Somalia’s federal government.