Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has urged African and international investors to look to Somalia, presenting the country as an economy rebuilding through reform, trade and new partnerships.
Pitch for investment
Speaking at the Alamein-Africa Business Forum in Egypt’s El Alamein on 3 October, Mohamud said Somalia was open to businesses prepared to invest and grow alongside the country.
DGBN has also reported on Somalia seeks new trade and investment partners at Alamein Africa Forum.
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He told the forum that Somalia should not be seen only through the lens of conflict, but as a country pursuing economic reconstruction and reform. He linked productive investment to job creation, broader growth and sustainable development.
Mohamud also called for deeper economic integration across Africa, arguing that stronger cooperation on trade, infrastructure, finance and market connections is central to the continent’s future.
The forum brought together African leaders, ministers, business executives, investors and financial institutions, offering Somalia an opportunity to make its case directly to potential commercial partners.
Egypt talks add political weight
On the sidelines of the gathering, Mohamud met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Egypt’s presidency said the leaders discussed Somalia’s internal situation, bilateral relations and security issues affecting the Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea.
For more context, read DGBN’s coverage of Why Saudi Arabia is making a play for East Africa.
El-Sisi reiterated Cairo’s support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, according to the Egyptian presidency. The two countries elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in January 2025.
That diplomatic backing matters as Mogadishu seeks to pair economic outreach with stronger state institutions and greater regional stability.
Why this matters
For Somalis at home and across the diaspora, investment pitches are meaningful only if they translate into decent jobs, reliable infrastructure and opportunities for local businesses rather than narrowly held gains.
Somalia’s bid to attract capital comes after years of conflict and institutional fragility, conditions that continue to shape how investors assess risk. Mohamud’s message in Egypt was therefore as much about changing perceptions as seeking immediate deals.
The Alamein forum also put Somalia inside a wider African conversation: whether the continent can finance its own infrastructure, expand trade between African markets and secure a larger share of investment in strategic sectors.
Related DGBN reporting includes Africa: As Wars Spread, the Global Food System Unravels.
For Black communities across Africa and the diaspora, Somalia’s economic recovery is not a peripheral issue. It is a test of whether countries emerging from long periods of instability can convert international partnerships into sovereign, inclusive development.