Saudi Arabia Will Form A Military Alliance With Somalia And Egypt

• 16.01.2026, 14:15

As opposed to the UAE.

Saudi Arabia is finalizing a military agreement with Egypt and Somalia, their coalition is created for the sake of limiting the UAE's influence in the region. This writes Bloomberg citing sources.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud will soon travel to Saudi Arabia to sign the pact, which aims to develop strategic security cooperation in the Red Sea, as well as deepen the military partnership between the countries.

Saudi Arabia has always been a supporter of Somalia's territorial integrity and its fight against Islamist groups, but the new pact will be the first time the kingdom has tried to directly strengthen the East African country's security and armed forces, the agency noted.

A Somali government spokesman confirmed that the agreement was being drafted but declined to comment further. The Saudi and Egyptian governments did not respond to the agency's requests.

The UAE has increased its presence in Africa and invested in the ports of Berbera in Somalia's breakaway state of Somaliland and Bosaso in the autonomous region of Puntland, while recognizing the territorial integrity of Mogadishu.

Somali pulled out of a security and ports agreement with the UAE, accusing it of violating its sovereignty after evacuating a Yemeni separatist leader through its territory. Saudi Arabia said on Jan. 8 that the United Arab Emirates secretly took Southern Transitional Council (STC) leader Aidarus al-Zubaidi, wanted for treason, out of the country by boat to Somalia and flew him by plane to Abu Dhabi, AP reported.