In brief
- Hiiraan Online reported on 17 September 2025 that Somaliland signed a USD 70 million agreement with International Maharat Investment Company to modernise Egal International Airport in Hargeisa.
- The agreement promises new terminals, a refurbished runway and upgraded navigation systems, and the ministry said construction would begin within six months in phases.
- The source found no record of the company in Dubai business registries and reported no evidence of financing or construction.
Contents
Hiiraan Online reported on 17 September 2025 that Somaliland's minister of civil aviation and airports development, Fuad Ahmed Nuh, signed a USD 70 million agreement with the International Maharat Investment Company to modernise Egal International Airport in Hargeisa. The report states the signing took place at the Dubai International Financial Centre.
What the source records
According to Hiiraan Online, the agreement promises new terminals, a refurbished runway and upgraded navigation systems. The ministry said construction would begin within six months, in phases, to avoid major disruption, and called the project 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 could not locate the firm in Dubai business registries, found no visible online presence, and found no evidence of earlier investment projects under the company name. Somaliland officials had not responded to requests for documentation on the company's legal status, ownership or track record, the report said. The airport's last major rehabilitation was in 2012 to 2013, it added.
Read the full account at Hiiraan Online.
What it means on site
An announced agreement sets out a scope and a phasing intention, not a construction programme. For anyone planning works, supply or employment around the airport, the phasing statement matters more than the headline figure: a phased runway job can require night or low-traffic windows, temporary navigation aids and clear diversions. Ask the Civil Aviation and Airports Development ministry which phases are tendered, which contractor holds each package, and what the runway closure and NOTAM arrangements would be. Until those records exist, treat the terminals, runway and navigation items as proposed scope to be verified against a signed contract and a design.
What the source does not establish
The source does not establish that financing is in place, that construction has started, or that the company has delivered comparable work. The USD 70 million is an announced figure. The source could not verify the company in Dubai registries, so its legal status and ownership remain unconfirmed as of 17 September 2025. A signed agreement is not a completed terminal, runway or navigation upgrade. Records that would confirm the present state include the signed contract, the financing agreement, a tender notice for a phase, and a construction permit from the ministry.
What to do next
Ask the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Development in Hargeisa for the signed agreement, the phasing schedule and any tender notices issued for the airport works. If bidding is planned, request the scope of works for each phase in writing before pricing anything.
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.