Trade, import and manufacturing
Hass Petroleum: the Somali-Kenyan fuel company
Hass Petroleum is a fuel trading and retail company founded in Kisumu, Kenya, in 1997 by two Somali-Kenyan brothers, Abdirizak Ali Hassan and Abdinasir Ali Hassan, and now based in Nairobi. It opened its first filling station in 2002, entered Somalia in 2012, and in 2017 sold a 40.3 percent stake to Oman's state oil company.
The short version
Hass Petroleum says it was founded and registered in Kisumu, Kenya, in 1997 by the late Abdirizak Ali Hassan and its current chairman, Abdinasir Ali Hassan (Hass Petroleum, Our history). It began as a fuel reseller for export, aiming at Tanzania's newly opened fuel market, and opened its first retail filling station in Kisumu in 2002 (same source; Wikipedia, Hass Petroleum). Its head office is in Nairobi and its chief executive is Mohamud Salat (Wikipedia, same page).
Abdinasir Ali Hassan was born in Garissa, Kenya, and lives in the UAE and London (Wikipedia, Abdinasir Ali Hassan).
Where it works
The company lists storage depots in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Zambia and South Sudan, and dates its entry into Somalia to 2012 (Hass Petroleum, Our history). It describes the wider business as the Hass Group (Hass Group, About). In 2017 it was named business of the year at the International Somali Awards (International Somali Awards, 2017 winners).
The Oman stake and the Nairobi tower
In July 2017 Oman's state-owned oil company bought a 40.3 percent stake in Hass Petroleum (Daily Nation, Local oil dealer sells big stake to Omani firm). In May 2017 building work began on the Pinnacle, a tower in Nairobi's Upper Hill planned by the Hass group and partners as Africa's tallest building, with a Hilton hotel (The Economist, 25 May 2017; Daily Nation, Hilton replies to hotel rivals with 45-floor Nairobi tower).
Place in Somali business
Hass is one of several large firms founded by Somalis in Kenya, alongside the trading and money transfer houses of Nairobi's Eastleigh district (see Somalis in Kenya). The Clingendael Institute's 2019 study notes that some newer Somali ventures in oil and gas made Kenya a key market, unlike most Somali transnational firms whose business is built around the Somali market (Clingendael, Transnational capital in Somalia, June 2019).
Sources disagree
- Founding year. The company says 1997; a 2025 local history blog says 1996 (Hass Petroleum; Kisumu Kulture, April 2025).
- Number of countries. Wikipedia says more than 11; the company's depot list names 7; the 2025 blog says 9 (Wikipedia; Hass Petroleum).
See also Somali business pioneers.
Sources
- Hass Petroleum, Our history · hasspetroleum.com
- Wikipedia, Hass Petroleum · en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, Abdinasir Ali Hassan · en.wikipedia.org
- Hass Group, About · hasspetroleum.com
- International Somali Awards, 2017 winners · internationalsomaliawards.com
- Daily Nation, Local oil dealer sells big stake to Omani firm · nation.africa
- The Economist, 25 May 2017 · economist.com
- Daily Nation, Hilton replies to hotel rivals with 45-floor Nairobi tower · nation.co.ke
- Clingendael, Transnational capital in Somalia, June 2019 · kpsrl.org
- Kisumu Kulture, April 2025 · kisumukulture.blogspot.com
Toosoo!
Calankii is made by Toosoo, which works for one united, prosperous Somalia.
Can you help with Hass Petroleum: the Somali-Kenyan fuel company? Tell us what you can give.
I want to help with this
Where this matters
Same era
- Australia18,401 people of Somali ancestry and 8,101 born in Somalia lived in Australia at the 2021 Census, more than half in Victoria. History, work, issues.
- Birmingham (Somali diaspora)About 17,000 to 21,600 Somalis live in Birmingham (Census 2021), mostly in Nechells, Newtown, Small Heath and Alum Rock. History, work, health and ties home.
- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada2,845 people of Somali origin lived in Calgary at the 2021 Census, plus 890 in Brooks. How they came, who serves them and what they face.
- Denmark (Somali diaspora)21,885 people of Somali origin lived in Denmark in 2026, half born there. Numbers, history, work, permit reviews, and ties home.
- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
Keep reading
- Somali trading, import and manufacturing companies: directorySomali importers, traders and manufacturers: drinks, cement, tiles, leather, fuel and food importers, with head office and source.
- Somali manufacturers: steel, plastics, dairy, paper and drinksSomali factories in facts: the government's factory counts and 'Made in Somalia' mark, and firms such as Hadiid Industries, Somplastic, Irman Dairy, AADCO Paper, ILO Tango, Tayo and Tabaarak, with dates, staff and output.
- Somaliland Beverage Industries (SBI): the Coca-Cola plant in HargeisaSBI in facts: the Guelleh family and the OGF and GSK groups, the 2012 Coca-Cola plant, products, the 2017 to 2019 dispute with Djibouti and the bank debt case.