Federal government: ministries and agencies
Somali Petroleum Authority: the oil and gas regulator
The Somali Petroleum Authority regulates oil and gas exploration in Somalia and runs licensing rounds for exploration blocks. It was set up under the 2020 petroleum law, with Ibrahim Ali Hussein as its first chairman. In August 2026 its chairman, Abdulqadir Aden, said Somalia was preparing an open bidding round.
What it does
The Somali Petroleum Authority is the regulator for oil and gas exploration and production. Petroleum Economist reported in 2020 that it was the country's first upstream regulator, created under the petroleum law, and that it would oversee licensing of exploration blocks (Petroleum Economist, 2020). Policy is set by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; the authority handles licensing and regulation.
Who leads it
| Period | Chairman | Source |
|---|---|---|
| From 2020 | Ibrahim Ali Hussein, first chairman and chief executive | Petroleum Economist, 2020 |
| 2026 | Abdulqadir Aden | Dawan Africa, 22 August 2026 |
The money
The figures are from the federal Appropriation Act for 2027 as submitted to parliament, where the body is sub-head 030202 under the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (Ministry of Finance, Appropriation Act 2027):
| Year | US$ |
|---|---|
| 2025 (actual) | 1,071,460 |
| 2026 (budget) | 1,081,820 |
| 2027 (proposed) | 1,045,380 |
All federal bodies' budgets are compared on federal bodies and their budgets.
What it reports doing in 2026
On 21 August 2026 chairman Abdulqadir Aden said Somalia is preparing an open, competitive bidding round for companies seeking oil blocks. "Companies seeking to operate in Somalia's petroleum sector will enter an open competitive process," he said, at a Canada-supported training on petroleum investment for staff of the finance and petroleum ministries and the authority (Dawan Africa, 22 August 2026).
At the same event the petroleum ministry's Director General, Mohamed Hashi Arabey, said Somalia has close to 300 petroleum blocks offshore and onshore to be marketed to investors. The authority's chairman said he hoped for results on Somalia's oil prospects in the coming months (Dawan Africa, 22 August 2026).
Other records
The Petroleum Law approved in February 2020 created the authority to issue licences and review production sharing agreements. Somalia's first offshore licensing round, for seven blocks, opened on 4 August 2020 and closed on 12 March 2021 (S&P Global, 4 August 2020; Wikipedia). In December 2022 the federal government declared oil operations licensed by Somaliland illegal, saying only federal authorities can grant oil permits. The full history is on this site's oil and gas page.
How the work is shared
The authority works with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Finance. One summary of the 2020 law says it gives 55% of oil revenue to the federal government and 45% to the member states (Wikipedia).
Sources
- Petroleum Economist, 2020 · pemedianetwork.com
- Dawan Africa, 22 August 2026 · dawan.africa
- Ministry of Finance, Appropriation Act 2027 · mof.gov.so
- S&P Global, 4 August 2020 · spglobal.com
- Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
Toosoo!
Calankii is made by Toosoo, which works for one united, prosperous Somalia.
Can you help with Somali Petroleum Authority: the oil and gas regulator? Tell us what you can give.
I want to help with this
Where this matters
- Muqdisho (Mogadishu) and BanaadirMogadishu (Muqdisho) is Somalia's capital and makes up the Banadir region, with about 2.97 million people in 20 districts.
- Gaalkacyo (Galkayo) and MudugMudug is a region of central Somalia with about 1.5 million people, split between Puntland in the north and Galmudug in the south.
- Dhuusamarreeb (Dhusamareb) and GalgaduudGalgaduud is a region of central Somalia in Galmudug State, with Dhusamareb (Dhuusamarreeb) as its capital and about 845,000 people.
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
- Every federal government body in Somalia and its budget, 2025 to 2027A directory of every body in Somalia's federal budget: ministries, agencies, courts, commissions and security forces, with 2025 spending, 2026 budget and 2027 proposed budget in US dollars, and a CSV download.
- The Federal Government of Somalia: how it is organisedHow Somalia's federal government is built: its history since 2012, its branches, ministries, agencies and independent offices, how it relates to the member states, its staff and budget, and where to find each part.
- Somalia's federal government: the President, the Prime Minister and the Council of MinistersHow Somalia's federal executive works: the President's powers, the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers, the list of ministries, and presidents since 1960.
- Ministry of Education of Somalia (Wasaaradda Waxbarashada): what it doesWhat Somalia's federal education ministry does: curriculum, national exams, teachers, school counts and higher education, how it shares the work with the member states, and the separate ministries in Puntland and Somaliland.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia (Wasaaradda Arrimaha Dibadda): embassies and diplomacyWhat Somalia's foreign ministry does, who leads it, where Somalia has embassies, the main issues in 2024 to 2026, and what Somalis abroad can get from an embassy.
- Ministry of Health of Somalia (Wasaaradda Caafimaadka): what it doesWhat Somalia's federal health ministry does: policy, vaccines, medicines, coordination of aid; who leads it; its budget 2025 to 2027; what it reports doing in 2026; and how the work is shared with Puntland, Somaliland and the member states.