# Abdi Farah Shirdon (Cabdi Faarax Shirdoon)

> Abdi Farah Shirdon (born 1958): economist from Dhuusamareeb, Prime Minister of Somalia 2012 to 2013.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/abdi-farah-shirdon/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is he?

Abdi Farah Shirdon is a Somali businessman, economist and politician ([Wikipedia, Abdi Farah Shirdon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdi_Farah_Shirdon)). He was Prime Minister of Somalia from October 2012 to December 2013 (same source). This page covers his public role and takes no side in party politics.

## Early life and study

He was born in [Dhuusamareeb](/en/regions/galgaduud/) in 1958 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdi_Farah_Shirdon)). His family is Marehan (Darod) (same source). He earned a degree in economics with honours at the Somali National University in 1983 (same source). He later took a master's degree in diplomatic studies at Oxford (same source).

## Economist and businessman

From 1983 to 1985 he worked as an economist in the ministries of finance and agriculture ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdi_Farah_Shirdon)). He then founded his own company (same source). After 1991 he moved to Nairobi and ran an import-export firm (same source). In 2012 he chaired the Rajo Forum, a civil society group he co-founded (same source). See [Somalis in Kenya](/en/diaspora/kenya/).

## Prime minister

President [Hassan Sheikh Mohamud](/en/people/hassan-sheikh-mohamud/) named him prime minister on 6 October 2012 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdi_Farah_Shirdon)). Parliament approved him on 17 October by 215 of 275 votes (same source). On 4 November he named a cabinet of only ten members ([Al Jazeera, 5 November 2012](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2012/11/5/somalia-prime-minister-unveils-leaner-cabinet)). It included [Fawzia Yusuf Haji Adam](/en/people/fawzia-yusuf-adam/), the first woman foreign minister (same source).

## Work in office

In February 2013 he launched an independent task force on human rights ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdi_Farah_Shirdon)). The same month he toured cities to hear people's priorities for public services (same source). In May 2013 his government launched a Public Finance Management Policy to make public money more open (same source). It also proposed a national disaster management agency (same source). See [the timeline from 2012 to 2026](/en/history/timeline-2012-to-2026/).

## End of term

On 2 December 2013 parliament passed a vote of no confidence, 184 to 65 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdi_Farah_Shirdon)). He accepted the decision and asked citizens to support the next government (same source). The UN envoy Nicholas Kay praised his role in the New Deal Compact with international partners (same source).

## Later

In April 2025 he returned to Mogadishu and announced a run for the presidency ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdi_Farah_Shirdon)).

## In short

Prime Minister from October 2012 to December 2013, with a ten-member cabinet that named Somalia's first woman foreign minister.

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