Somalia signs defence pact with Saudi Arabia amid Gulf rivalry

Somalia signed a defence and military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, reflecting the growing strategic competition in the Horn of Africa, where Gulf monarchies are increasingly engaged in proxy conflicts. The region, situated between the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal along one of the world’s busiest trade routes, has attracted heightened interest from Gulf states.

Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Khalid bin Salman, signed the “military cooperation agreement” on February 9, according to a post on X from the Somali Defence Ministry, Caliber.Az reports.

“This agreement further strengthens defence and military cooperation between the two nations, while covering various areas of mutual interest for both countries,” the ministry stated.

وقّع معالي وزير الدفاع في جمهورية الصومال الفيدرالية، السيد أحمد معلم فقي، مذكرة تفاهم للتعاون العسكري مع نظيره في المملكة العربية السعودية، صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير خالد بن سلمان بن عبدالعزيز، وذلك في مدينة الرياض، على هامش المعرض الدولي للدفاع.

وتهدف مذكرة التفاهم إلى تعزيز… pic.twitter.com/Rjz90Md2Qx

— MoD Somalia 🇸🇴 (@MoDSomaliya) February 9, 2026

In a separate post, Prince Khalid noted that he had “signed and witnessed the signing” of “several” agreements on the sidelines of a military exhibition in Riyadh, without providing additional details.

The agreement also occurs against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Abu Dhabi has been accused of arming Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries, who have been engaged in a violent conflict with Sudan’s regular military since 2023, and of committing atrocities against civilians—allegations the UAE denies.

In Somaliland, the Emirati conglomerate DP World has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the development of the deep-water port of Berbera, which operates with limited oversight from the Somali government. The port’s associated airport is reportedly under strict control of Abu Dhabi, according to multiple witnesses and local sources.

By Vafa Guliyeva