In brief
- Somaliland Sun reported on 30 September 2023 that Abu Dhabi Ports Company praised cooperation between Somaliland and Ethiopia to transform Berbera port into a regional logistics center.
- The report said CEO Mohamed Juma Al Shamsi was set to speak at Africa Energy Week 2023, but did not confirm his attendance or any new Abu Dhabi Ports statement.
- No material development, investment, or construction at Berbera port after 30 September 2023 is documented in the report.
On 30 September 2023, Somaliland Sun reported that Abu Dhabi Ports Company praised the cooperation between Somaliland and Ethiopia to transform the port of Berbera into a regional logistics center. The report did not state when or in what form the praise was made, nor did it identify any underlying statement or document from Abu Dhabi Ports.
The same report said that Mohamed Juma Al Shamsi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports, was set to speak at Africa Energy Week 2023, scheduled to take place from 16 to 20 October in Cape Town. Somaliland Sun claimed that Al Shamsi's participation would showcase opportunities to expand port infrastructure in Africa, and that under his leadership Abu Dhabi Ports played a pivotal role in expanding and modernizing port infrastructure in Africa.
Somaliland Sun further claimed that Abu Dhabi Ports is at the forefront of developing Africa's energy sector, and that modern port infrastructure and logistics play a critical role in promoting energy development across the African continent. The report stated that Africa is rich in energy resources, including oil and gas and emerging sources such as hydrogen, and that collaboration with port operations and logistics companies such as Abu Dhabi Ports is essential to fully exploit Africa's energy resources.
None of these claims are attributed to Abu Dhabi Ports Company or to Al Shamsi directly in the Somaliland Sun article. The report does not establish that Al Shamsi actually spoke at Africa Energy Week 2023, nor does it provide any evidence of a binding agreement, contract value, concession terms, implementing entity, timeline, or current status for the transformation of Berbera port.
Since the publication date of 30 September 2023, no material development, physical transformation, investment, or construction at Berbera port is documented by the report. The claims about cooperation, regional hub transformation, and Abu Dhabi Ports' role remain unverified beyond the assertions made by Somaliland Sun.