Somalia, Morocco Explore Cooperation in Energy, Agriculture and Tourism

GOOBJOOG NEWS | RABAT, Morocco: Somalia and Morocco have explored opportunities to expand economic cooperation in energy, agriculture, investment, tourism and port management during a bilateral conference in Rabat.

The conference, which opened on October 19, brought together a Somali delegation and representatives of three Moroccan ministries and 10 other institutions to discuss investment, training and the exchange of technical expertise.

Abdullahi Hayir Duale, director general of Somalia’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, told the state news agency SONNA that the meetings focused on identifying areas where Morocco’s experience could support Somalia’s economic development.

The delegation met Morocco’s national electricity authority to discuss cooperation in renewable energy, with Somalia highlighting its potential for solar and wind power generation. Somalia’s National Electricity Agency General Manager Abdullahi Dayib joined the discussions.

Investment was another key area, with representatives of the two countries’ investment agencies exploring opportunities for collaboration and the exchange of expertise.

The Somali delegation also visited the port of Tangier and other Moroccan ports, where discussions centred on port management and possible cooperation with major Somali facilities, including the Port of Mogadishu.

In agriculture, the delegation met Morocco’s improved-seed agency to learn from its experience, while separate talks with Moroccan officials focused on farming, fisheries and industrial development.

Discussions with Morocco’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and banking representatives also examined ways to strengthen ties between the two countries’ private sectors through business exchanges, training and investment.

Tourism featured prominently in the talks, with the Somali delegation presenting opportunities linked to the country’s coastline, national parks and historical sites.

Duale said the two sides had agreed to pursue training and knowledge-sharing initiatives, adding that Morocco was expected to open tourism training opportunities for Somali professionals from both government institutions and the private sector.

The Somali delegation also highlighted opportunities in livestock, minerals, industry and agriculture. Duale said Somalia had presented approximately 33 million hectares of land as an investment opportunity, including an estimated 10 million hectares suitable for farming.

He described the conference as productive and said further meetings and follow-up activities were expected to advance the discussions.