# Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas (Cabdiweli Maxamed Cali Gaas)

> Abdiweli Gaas: economist, Prime Minister of Somalia 2011–2012 and President of Puntland 2014–2019.

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

## Who is he?

Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas is a Somali-American economist and politician ([Wikipedia, Abdiweli Gaas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Gaas)). He led the national government as prime minister and later led [Puntland](/en/states/puntland/) as its fifth president (same source). This page covers his public role.

## Study and teaching

He earned a BA in economics with top honours at the Somali National University in 1984 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Gaas)). In 1988 he took an MA in economics at Vanderbilt University (same source). He was later a Bradley Fellow at George Mason University (same source). From 2003 he was an associate professor of economics at Niagara University in New York (same source). He speaks Somali, Arabic, Italian and English (same source).

## Prime minister

He became acting prime minister on 19 June 2011, after the Kampala agreement led his predecessor to resign ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Gaas)). On 28 June parliament approved him by 337 votes to 2 (same source). He is credited with the "Roadmap for the End of Transition" (same source). It set clear steps toward permanent institutions by mid-2012 ([African Arguments, January 2014](https://africanarguments.org/2014/01/puntlands-presidential-poll-election-of-gaas-likely-to-strengthen-moves-towards-federalism-by-dominik-balthasar/)). He stood as a presidential candidate in 2012 (same source). See [Islamist movements and transitional governments](/en/history/islamist-movements-and-transitional-governments-2000-2012/).

## President of Puntland

On 8 January 2014 Puntland's 66-member parliament elected him president ([African Arguments](https://africanarguments.org/2014/01/puntlands-presidential-poll-election-of-gaas-likely-to-strengthen-moves-towards-federalism-by-dominik-balthasar/)). He won the final round by 33 votes to 32 over the incumbent, [Abdirahman Farole](/en/people/abdirahman-farole/) (same source). His family is Majeerteen (Darod) (same source). Hopes were that he would mend ties with Mogadishu and widen the settlement to include all communities (same source).

## Work in Puntland

He signed a 12-point agreement with the federal prime minister in Garowe ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Gaas)). His government launched a fisheries database, a five-year development plan, and road, port and airport projects in [Bosaso](/en/regions/bari/) (same source). In 2014 Puntland forces took the Galgala mountains from al-Shabaab (same source). He also set up a committee on money-transfer policy (same source).

## After office

In the December 2018 vote he sought re-election but was eliminated in the first round ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Gaas)). [Said Abdullahi Deni](/en/people/said-abdullahi-deni/) succeeded him (same source).

## In short

Prime Minister from 2011 to 2012 during the end of the transitional period, then President of Puntland from 2014 to 2019.

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