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Somaliland inks $70 million airport deal as questions arise over investor’s credibility
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Wednesday September 17, 2025
Fuad Ahmed Nuh, Somaliland’s minister of civil aviation and airports development, signs a $70 million agreement with the International Maharat Investment Company to modernize Hargeisa’s Egal International Airport during a ceremony at the Dubai International Financial Centre on Tuesday.
Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland has signed a $70 million agreement with the International Maharat Investment Company to modernize Egal International Airport, the country’s main aviation hub in Hargeisa. The agreement, signed with the little-known firm, promises new terminals, a refurbished runway, and upgraded navigation systems.Civil Aviation and Airports Development Minister Fuad Ahmed Nuh formalized the deal on Tuesday at the Dubai International Financial Centre. The ministry said construction would begin within six months in phases to avoid major disruption, positioning the project as the most significant investment in Somaliland’s aviation infrastructure to date.
“This investment goes beyond infrastructure; it represents a commitment to enhanced connectivity, economic development and the long-term prosperity of our nation,” Nuh wrote on X.
Nuh added that the project carries the promise of turning Somaliland’s primary hub into a more reliable and competitive gateway.
In a statement,the ministry said the project is “the largest investment ever made in Somaliland’s aviation infrastructure, and the second-largest foreign investment after DP World.”
While officials in Hargeisa hailed the deal as a breakthrough for Somaliland’s aviation sector, questions have quickly emerged about the legitimacy of the International Maharat Investment Company. Local reporters were unable to locate the firm in Dubai business registries, nor does it have a visible online presence. There also doesn’t appear to be any evidence of previous investment projects under the company name. Some Somaliland commentators and social media users have raised doubts about the firm’s very existence.
Somaliland officials have not yet responded to requests for documentation confirming the company’s legal status, ownership, or track record.
Egal International Airport last underwent major rehabilitation in 2012–2013, including runway works funded with support from the Kuwait Fund and USAID, and reopened in August 2013. A 2014 USAID-backed pilot wind project added on-site power generation. The new program aims to bring facilities closer to international standards and raise capacity after a decade of steady passenger growth.
The airport modernization also dovetails with trade ambitions anchored at Berbera Port, where DP World has developed a container terminal with capacity of about 500,000 TEU and a one-stop service center. Officials position the Hargeisa upgrade as complementary to those logistics gains.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not internationally recognized, has been courting foreign investment in key infrastructure sectors including aviation and ports.
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