# Somalia Urges DP World to Rethink Port Deals

> On 20 April 2018, Somalia's foreign minister called on DP World to reconsider its Berbera port agreement with Somaliland…

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 30 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Business and Costs
- Tags: construction-risk, procurement
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/somalia-urges-dp-world-rethink-port-deals

## Key points

- Somalia's foreign minister said on 20 April 2018 that DP World should reconsider its contract with Somaliland and work with federal authorities.
- Wardheer News reported the call, but the article provides no evidence that the Berbera deal has changed or been cancelled.
- Somaliland's ambassador and president rejected the federal claim, and a DP World spokesman said construction was on schedule.

On 20 April 2018, Wardheer News reported that Somalia’s foreign minister, Ahmed Isse Awad, called on Dubai state-owned port operator DP World to reconsider its contract with Somaliland and work with federal authorities so Somalia’s sovereignty is not violated.

Awad specifically asked DP World to reconsider the Berbera port agreement, according to Wardheer News. He said the agreement to develop an economic zone and port in Berbera “bypassed the legitimate authority” of Somalia, triggering “misunderstanding and disagreement” that remained unresolved.

Somaliland’s ambassador to the UAE, Bashe Awil Omar, told Reuters that the deal was not up for discussion. “The government of Somalila has nothing to do with this agreement,” he said.

The report does not establish that DP World has reconsidered the deal or that the foreign minister’s call has changed the status of the port agreements. A DP World spokesman told Reuters that construction in Somaliland and Puntland was on schedule and that work would start soon. “Both Puntland and Somaliland have urged DP World to expedite construction,” the spokesman said.

Somalia’s parliament unanimously passed a resolution last month declaring DP World’s contract with Somaliland null and void, Wardheer News reported. Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi said the vote would have no impact on the deal, which includes the government of Ethiopia.

Awad said the federal government wanted DP World to engage with Mogadishu instead of Somaliland authorities. He said Somalia welcomes any investment in any part of Somalia including Berbera, after engagement with Mogadishu, and that this policy applied to deals with federal member states including Puntland.

The minister denied UAE claims that they had signed the Berbera port deal with a previous Somali government, saying no evidence had been produced. He said he thought relations with the Gulf state would normalize and that Mogadishu wanted “serious, open and friendly” discussion.

Wardheer News reported that the dispute over the port issue has escalated amid an increasingly troubled relationship between Gulf states and fractured Somalia. Analysts said the Gulf dispute risks exacerbating an already explosive security situation on both sides of the Gulf of Aden.

## Questions

### What specific concerns does Somalia raise about DP World's port deals?

Somalia's foreign minister said the Berbera agreement bypassed Somali sovereignty and triggered unresolved misunderstanding. He asked DP World to engage with federal authorities instead of Somaliland.

### Could this affect the Berbera port development?

The report does not establish any change to the project. A DP World spokesman said construction was on schedule, and Somaliland's president said a parliamentary nullification vote would have no impact.

### What response has DP World given?

A DP World spokesman said construction in Somaliland and Puntland was on schedule and that work would start soon, adding that both regions urged expedited construction.

## Sources

- [DP World should rethink port deals in Somalia: foreign minister](https://wardheernews.com/dp-world-should-rethink-port-deals-in-somalia-foreign-minister/) — Wardheer News, 2018-04-20