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In brief
- Hiiraan Online reported on 17 September 2025 that reporters could not locate the International Maharat Investment Company in Dubai business registries and found no visible online presence.
- The USD 70 million figure is an announced agreement value for modernising Egal International Airport, not evidence of financing or construction.
- Somaliland officials had not yet responded to requests for documentation confirming the company's legal status, ownership or track record.
Contents
Hiiraan Online reported on 17 September 2025 that Somaliland's civil aviation minister, Fuad Ahmed Nuh, signed a USD 70 million agreement with the International Maharat Investment Company to modernise Egal International Airport in Hargeisa. The ceremony took place at the Dubai International Financial Centre. Reporters could not locate the firm in Dubai business registries.
What the source records
Hiiraan Online reported that the agreement promises new terminals, a refurbished runway and upgraded navigation systems, and that the ministry said construction would begin within six months in phases. The ministry called it the largest investment ever made in Somaliland's aviation infrastructure and the second-largest foreign investment after DP World. Hiiraan Online also reported that local reporters were unable to locate the firm in Dubai business registries, that it has no visible online presence, and that no evidence of previous investment projects under the company name appears. Officials had not yet responded to requests for documentation confirming legal status, ownership or track record. Hiiraan Online
What it means on site
For anyone weighing work tied to an announced airport programme, the source marks a stage: a signed agreement with a counterparty a news organisation could not verify in a public registry. Before mobilising labour or ordering materials against such an announcement, ask the contracting party for the documents that fix its identity: a trade licence, a registration certificate, and the name and address of the registered office. Ask which entity holds the account that pays certificates, and get that in writing. Where the source stops, treat the rest as open.
What the source does not establish
The source does not establish that financing is in place, that design work exists, or that any construction has started. It does not establish that the company is unregistered, only that reporters could not find it in the registries they searched and that officials had not provided documentation by the time of publication. The USD 70 million is an announced figure. The source does not say what has happened since 17 September 2025. A registry extract naming the company, and a signed contract with the procuring ministry, would confirm the present state.
What to do next
Ask the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Development in Hargeisa for the signed agreement, the counterparty's registration details and the payment mechanism, in writing. If you are a subcontractor, request the payer's identity and the certificate approval route before ordering materials or mobilising a crew.
Frequently asked questions
Did the company pay anything towards the airport works?
Hiiraan Online reported no evidence of financing or construction, only a signed USD 70 million agreement announced on 17 September 2025. Ask the ministry for the contract and payment records.
What does a Dubai registry search prove?
It shows only whether a name appears in the registry searched. Reporters could not find the firm there. A registry extract naming the company, or its absence, is the document to request.
Sources
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Hargeisa and Somaliland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.