Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre met with a visiting Qatari delegation in Mogadishu on Wednesday to discuss expanding economic cooperation, with a focus on attracting Qatari investment in food production and healthcare, officials said.
The delegation was led by Talal bin Rashid Al-Hajri, a senior adviser at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to Somali officials. Discussions centered on ways to deepen bilateral ties and identify sectors offering the strongest potential for Qatari investment, including agriculture, food security and health infrastructure.
The meeting builds on a broader push by Doha to expand its economic footprint in Somalia, which has intensified cooperation with Qatar on defense and diplomacy in recent months. Somalia and Qatar signed a defense cooperation agreement in Doha earlier this month, covering military training and security collaboration, as Mogadishu diversifies its regional partnerships.
The talks also come as Somalia works to boost its agriculture sector, which accounts for roughly 60% of the country’s economic output but remains hobbled by recurrent drought, climate shocks and conflict. Somalia opened a national forum in Mogadishu this week aimed at drawing domestic and foreign investment into food production, as the country grapples with acute food insecurity affecting an estimated 6 million people.
Qatar has steadily built ties with Somalia over the past decade, including prior pledges of investment in infrastructure and past assistance during periods of political and humanitarian crisis. Officials from both sides described Wednesday’s meeting as part of continuing efforts to translate that relationship into concrete investment across priority sectors.
