Bihi Says UAE Base in Berbera to Become Public Airport

On 14 September 2019, Somali Dispatch reported that President Bihi said the UAE-built army base in Berbera would be transformed into a public airport. The statement was made during an appearance at the base, according to the report.

Somali Dispatch quoted Bihi saying, "We have transformed the Berbera UAE army base to become a civilian airport," but the report also noted the president said the base "would be transformed." The contradictory tenses are both attributed to Bihi, and the report does not clarify whether work had begun or was merely planned.

Bihi further claimed the airport would become Africa's largest airport and a major cargo hub, and that it would be more active than the Berbera port. No independent confirmation of these claims was provided.

The report states the project was not announced or known before Bihi's announcement that day at the base. Neither the UAE government nor any other party responded to the proposed change, and no UAE representatives attended the president's speech, according to Somali Dispatch. The president did not explain the transformation or the reasons for it.

Somali Dispatch offered no details on funding, cost, timeline, technical specifications, or the company that would carry out the work. The report's information ends on 14 September 2019; it does not establish what has happened at the base since that date.