Security forces
Qatar and Saudi Arabia: Gulf military support to Somalia
Qatar gave Somalia 68 armoured vehicles in January 2019, while Somalia stayed neutral in the Gulf dispute and had ended UAE training. Qatar has trained Somali soldiers in Doha: 600 returned to form a new unit in Mogadishu. On 19 January 2026, a week after Somalia cancelled its agreements with the UAE, Somalia and Qatar signed a defence cooperation agreement covering training and defence capability. Somalia and Saudi Arabia signed a military cooperation memorandum in Riyadh in February 2026.
In short
Gulf states have become major military partners of Somalia since the 2010s, and their rivalries have shaped who supports which Somali government and region. The UAE and Turkey have their own pages. This page covers Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It is part of Foreign forces in Somalia.
Qatar
The 2017 Gulf crisis. In June 2017 Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain imposed a blockade on Qatar. Somalia stayed neutral. A European Parliament resolution of July 2018 said "the Federal Government of Somalia has sought to remain neutral" and that Saudi Arabia and the UAE had stopped budget support payments to Somalia (The New Arab, 18 January 2019). The UN Monitoring Group wrote in 2017 that the government had found itself "increasingly isolated" by that neutrality, opposed by regional administrations, many MPs and parts of the Mogadishu business community (UN Monitoring Group, S/2017/924).
Armoured vehicles, 2019. On 17 January 2019 Qatar delivered 68 armoured vehicles to Mogadishu. Qatar's defence ministry said the gift "aims to strengthen the Somali state" in its fight against armed groups. It came nine months after Somalia's break with the UAE over training (The New Arab, 2019). Reports differ on the model: Military Africa identified Qatari-built Storm personnel carriers.
Training in Doha. Somali soldiers have trained in Qatar. Garowe Online reported that 600 soldiers returned from long-term training in Doha to form a new formation in Mogadishu under the Banadir command of the intelligence agency, NISA, later brought up to brigade strength, with Turkey supplying weapons and equipment (Garowe Online). See NISA.
The 2026 agreement. On 19 January 2026, at the DIMDEX defence exhibition in Doha, Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Qatar's minister of state for defence, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, signed a defence cooperation agreement. The Qatar News Agency said it aimed to "strengthen co-operation in a way that serves mutual interests" (The National, 20 January 2026). Al Jazeera described it as covering military training, the exchange of expertise and the development of defence capabilities (Al Jazeera, 10 February 2026).
Saudi Arabia
In February 2026 Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman signed a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation in Riyadh. Somalia's defence ministry said it would strengthen "defence and military frameworks" across "multiple areas of common interest"; neither government released further details (Al Jazeera, 10 February 2026).
The setting in 2026
Both agreements followed Israel's recognition of Somaliland in December 2025 and Somalia's cancellation of all its agreements with the UAE on 12 January 2026. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Somalia "will never allow" a reported Israeli military base in Somaliland. Relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE had also worsened over Yemen (Al Jazeera, 2026).
Sources differ
- The 2019 vehicles. Described as Storm personnel carriers (Military Africa) or as Casspir-type vehicles (Army Recognition).
- Training numbers. Garowe Online gives 600 returning soldiers; officials did not give the brigade's final size.
- Signing date of the Qatar agreement. The National dated its report 20 January 2026 and said the deal was signed "on Monday", 19 January.
Read the primary sources yourself
- The National, "Somalia and Qatar deepen defence ties with new co-operation agreement" (2026): article.
- Al Jazeera, "Somalia, Saudi Arabia sign agreement on military cooperation" (2026): article.
- The New Arab, "Qatar donates 68 armoured vehicles to Somalia" (2019): article.
Sources
- The New Arab, 18 January 2019 · newarab.com
- UN Monitoring Group, S/2017/924 · documents.un.org
- Garowe Online · garoweonline.com
- The National, 20 January 2026 · thenationalnews.com
- Al Jazeera, 10 February 2026 · aljazeera.com
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