By Dr. Mohamed Osman
Apr 15, 2026 · Member of the Society · Published at The Times of Israel (Blogs)
Dr. Mohamed Osman
Member of the Society · Writer at The Times of Israel
Retired physician and public-health specialist from Somaliland, based in Canada, with career service at Ottawa Public Health and Alberta Health Services — and a long-standing voice for Somaliland's international recognition.
The Emirati investment in Berbera and what it means for the region's new alignments.
Long before Israel arrived, Dr. Osman notes, the United Arab Emirates was already Somaliland's most consequential foreign partner — its largest investor and its quietest diplomatic ally. This essay tallies the Emirati footprint: DP World's $442 million expansion of Berbera port from 150,000 to half a million containers of capacity, a $71 million highway tying the port to the Ethiopian border, solar power under the 'Green Berbera' vision, and housing for port families.
His sharper point is what all that concrete means politically. Without ever formally recognizing Somaliland, the UAE has extended it something arguably more valuable: practical acknowledgment — treating its government, contracts, and even its passports as those of a functioning state, and quietly smoothing the way for Israel's recognition in December 2025.
The result, he argues, is an emerging 'Berbera Axis' — the UAE, Somaliland, and Israel converging on the same stretch of coast with aligned interests in Red Sea security, counter-piracy, and trade. For investors, the message is that Somaliland's most important partnership is already de-risked by a decade of Emirati money.
This is the Society's summary — the full article, in the author's own words, is at The Times of Israel.
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