Somalia solar water project: 10 boreholes, $2m, December 2026 target

On 28 February 2025, Goobjoog News reported the launch of a solar-powered water project intended to provide clean water to 120,000 drought-affected Somalis, describing it as an initiative harnessing solar energy to combat the country’s water crisis.

The report states the project is a partnership between the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is valued at $2 million. According to Goobjoog News, the project aims to build 10 solar-powered boreholes across Somalia. The agreement was signed by SFD CEO Mr. Sultan Al-Marshad and UNDP Associate Administrator Mr. Haoliang Xu, in the presence of Somalia’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Owais Haji Yusuf Ahmed, according to the same report.

Goobjoog News reported that by December 2026 the project will establish boreholes in Abudwak, Kismayo, Buuhoodle, Salahley, Galkayo, and Elberde. That date is a reported target, not a completion record. The report gives no start date or construction schedule, and does not state that any borehole has been drilled or is operational.

The report adds that community-led water governance systems, such as Water Resources User Associations, will be created, and that special attention will be given to women-headed households, people with disabilities and IDPs. Both are stated as future intentions. It says the project is expected to benefit over 3 million people indirectly through improved hygiene, lower living costs, and food security. That is an expected projection, not a measured result.

The project is funded under the 5th phase of the Saudi Program for Drilling Wells and Rural Development in Africa and aligns with Somalia’s National Water Resources Strategy and UNDP’s drought response efforts, according to Goobjoog News.

The report does not name a contractor, consultant or implementing partner. It does not state the contract value, a disbursement figure, or a payment schedule, and it does not separate the $2 million project value from a total project cost. The signing date is not given.

Goobjoog News also cites context figures without a source: that 70% of Somalia’s population lacks reliable access to clean water, that many rural households spend up to $6 per barrel per day on private water tankers, and that 73% of Somalis earn less than $1.25 per day. The report does not say where those figures come from or give a baseline date.

Lionel Laurens, UNDP Resident Representative in Somalia, said, according to Goobjoog News: “In Somalia, water is more than a necessity, it’s a lifeline. Investing in water infrastructure is investing in peace and resilience.” SFD CEO Mr. Sultan Al-Marshad said, also as quoted by Goobjoog News: “This project will transform lives.” Somalia’s Minister of Energy and Water Resources, H.E. Abdullahi Bidhan Warsame, said, according to the same report: “Access to clean water is a fundamental human right. This partnership strengthens our commitment to climate resilience and rural development.”

What the report does not establish is what has happened since 2025-02-28. It provides no evidence on whether any boreholes have been drilled, how many of the 10 are complete, whether Water Resources User Associations have been formed, or whether any of the 120,000 intended beneficiaries have been reached. The signing is reported as an agreement launch, not as funds transferred or works underway.

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, SFD and UNDP are named by Goobjoog News and have not been independently verified by SCR.