Somalia’s foreign minister bids farewell to Saudi ambassador

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali on Wednesday held a farewell meeting with Saudi Arabia’s outgoing ambassador to Mogadishu, Ahmed Mohammed Saleh Al-Muwallad, thanking him for his role in strengthening relations between the two countries.

The meeting highlighted the longstanding ties between Somalia and Saudi Arabia, which maintain diplomatic relations and cooperate on political, economic and development issues.

According to a statement from Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ali expressed appreciation for the ambassador’s contribution to strengthening what the ministry described as the brotherly relations and cooperation between Mogadishu and Riyadh.

The minister also wished Al-Muwallad success and progress in his next assignment, the statement said, without providing further details about his new position or when he would leave Somalia.

Al-Muwallad has represented Saudi Arabia in Somalia during a period in which the two countries have continued diplomatic engagement and cooperation on issues of mutual interest.

Saudi Arabia has longstanding religious, cultural and economic links with Somalia, a predominantly Muslim country located in the strategically important Horn of Africa, along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The two countries are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League, and have maintained close contacts on regional and international affairs.

Riyadh has also been among the countries providing humanitarian and development assistance to Somalia, which has faced prolonged conflict, recurrent droughts, food insecurity and displacement.

Somalia, meanwhile, has sought to strengthen its diplomatic partnerships across the Middle East and the wider international community as the federal government works to improve security, rebuild state institutions and expand economic opportunities.

The farewell meeting comes as Mogadishu continues efforts to deepen bilateral relations with regional and international partners, including Gulf countries, amid broader diplomatic and security developments in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.

Neither the Somali ministry’s statement nor the information provided about the meeting specified whether the two sides discussed new agreements, future diplomatic initiatives or the timing of the ambassador’s departure.

The ministry’s announcement focused on acknowledging the outgoing envoy’s diplomatic service and reaffirming the importance Somalia places on its relationship with Saudi Arabia.