Banadir Regional Administration Begins Reconstruction of Siinaay Market

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Mogadishu’s Banadir regional administration has begun plans to rebuild Siinaay Market, a public trading centre recently demolished as part of efforts to modernise commercial infrastructure in the Somali capital.

Deputy Governor for Security and Political Affairs Mohamed Ahmed Diriye (Yabooh) on Monday laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction project, which is intended to improve trading facilities and provide a more suitable environment for businesses and shoppers.

Yabooh said traders who previously operated at the market would be allowed to return to their former business locations once construction is completed.

The administration said the project forms part of a wider programme to rehabilitate and modernise public markets across Mogadishu, with the aim of improving commercial infrastructure and supporting economic activity.

Siinaay Market is among the markets owned by Mogadishu Municipality. Its reconstruction is expected to improve market services and facilities, although the administration did not announce the project’s cost, construction timeline or the number of traders expected to benefit.

The foundation-stone ceremony was attended by the director of the municipal Markets Department, regional and district officials, and members of the local community.

Markets play a central role in Mogadishu’s informal economy, providing livelihoods for traders and small businesses while serving as important points of supply for residents. The success of the reconstruction will partly depend on how traders are accommodated during construction and whether they can resume business as promised.