Cities getting safer and reconnecting

The force

After decades when few flew in, Somalia's cities are reconnecting with the world. This page uses civilian signs only: street life, visitors, visas and flights.

Street life

AP reported in January 2026 that Mogadishu has new cafés and ice-cream shops and neon-lit main streets, and that residents say security "has really improved now" (AP via News4Jax). The same report recalls the August 2024 attack on Lido beach. Attacks still happen, and safety differs from city to city.

Hargeisa has a long record of relative calm (AllAfrica).

Visitors

Somalia's Department of Tourism counted about 10,000 tourists in 2024, up about 50% on 2023. One tour company ran 13 group trips to Mogadishu in 2025, against 2 in 2023 (KRDO). An eVisa for arrivals in Mogadishu started on 1 September 2025; Somaliland and Puntland do not use it (KRDO).

Flights

• On 26 January 2023 Somalia took back management of its own airspace after about 30 years (ch-aviation).
• EgyptAir resumed Mogadishu flights on 12 July 2024 and added a third weekly flight on 7 July 2026 (Dawan).
• SalamAir, a low-cost airline, started the first-ever direct Muscat to Mogadishu flights, twice a week, on 3 September 2026 (Dawan).
• Somali Airlines bought two Airbus A320s in July 2025, and its restart has been tied to a planned new airport (ch-aviation).

Building

The state news agency described a construction boom in Mogadishu in December 2025, with diaspora families returning (SONNA).

Why it is a tailwind

More flights mean cheaper, easier trips for Somalis abroad who want to visit, invest or come home. Direct Gulf links connect Somali cities to Gulf jobs and to the Somali community there. Every visitor who comes and goes safely makes the next one more likely.

What it means for young Somalis

A young Somali born in London, Minneapolis or Dubai can now fly home more easily than their parents could. A young Somali at home can see the city filling with shops and visitors. Both see a country coming back to life.