Saudi Arabia pledges budgetary support for Somalia

Saudi Arabia has pledged to fund Somalia’s national budget alongside a range of support areas, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has said following a three day official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi.

President Farmaajo said his talks with King Salman bin Abdullaziz of Saudi Arabia successfully secured support for his new administration as he seeks to implement pre-election pledges and rebuild the country.

Saudi Arabia, Farmaajo said also agreed to finance the rebuilding of state institutions most of which were destroyed during the civil war. The visit which was the first foreign one for President Farmaajo since his election this month resulted in Saudi’s promise to build roads linking various part of the country in addition to a new airport.

Though the president was not specific on whether the Arab country had agreed to lift the ban on export of Somali livestock, he noted, “we agreed on all these issues including the livestock ban.” The president also sought support from Saudi Arabia to inject funds into the drought response efforts to stave the impending famine.

President Farmaajo promised an economic turn around during his election campaign singling out the rebuilding and financing of the security sector, regular and proper remuneration of civil servants among a range of areas.

His visit to Saudi Arabia could therefore be seen as crucial in securing such support besides strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. Somalia and Saudi Arabia also signed bilateral agreement on bolstering the war against terrorism, the president said.

The President said his travel abroad was testimony of transparency in his election and the confidence from the public.

The Saudi government also promised to re-open its embassy in Somalia which has remain closed since the civil war period. The Saudi ambassador for Kenya however doubles up as envoy to Somalia.