# Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed (Cabdiweli Sheekh Axmed)

> Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed (born 1959): economist from Bardera, Prime Minister of Somalia 2013 to 2014.

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

## Who is he?

Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed is a Somali economist and politician ([Wikipedia, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Sheikh_Ahmed)). He was Prime Minister of Somalia from December 2013 to December 2014 (same source). This page covers his public role and takes no side in party politics.

## Early life and study

He was born in 1959 in [Bardera](/en/regions/baardheere/), in the [Gedo](/en/regions/gedo/) region ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Sheikh_Ahmed)). His family is Marehan (Darod) (same source). He earned a degree in economics at the Somali National University in Mogadishu (same source). He later took a master's degree in economics at the University of Ottawa (same source).

## Livestock, banking and development

From 1984 to 1990 he was director-general of the Livestock Marketing and Health Agency ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Sheikh_Ahmed)). Livestock was then Somalia's main export, so the post touched much of the economy (same source). In 1991 he moved to Canada, where he took citizenship (same source). From 1991 to 1998 he ran a firm called MISK Enterprises (same source). He then worked at the Bank of Canada from 1998 to 2003 (same source). See [Somalis in Ottawa](/en/diaspora/ottawa/).

He moved to the African Union's animal resources office, AU-IBAR, from 2003 to 2006 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Sheikh_Ahmed)). He then worked for the trade bloc COMESA from 2007 to 2009 (same source). From 2010 to 2013 he was at the Islamic Development Bank (same source).

## Prime minister

On 12 December 2013 President [Hassan Sheikh Mohamud](/en/people/hassan-sheikh-mohamud/) named him prime minister ([Al Jazeera, 12 December 2013](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2013/12/12/somali-president-appoints-new-prime-minister)). The president said: "After a long consultations, I have taken the decision to name Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed as prime minister" (same source). He followed [Abdi Farah Shirdon](/en/people/abdi-farah-shirdon/), who had lost a confidence vote (same source). Al Jazeera noted he was the second prime minister in 14 months (same source). Parliament approved him on 21 December 2013 by 239 of 243 votes ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Sheikh_Ahmed)).

## Work in office

His cabinet delivered a 2014 Work Plan tied to the "Vision 2016" goals for elections and a constitution ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Sheikh_Ahmed)). It agreed the first European Union National Indicative Programme for Somalia in 25 years (same source). The government ratified several International Labour Organization conventions (same source). It also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (same source). See [the timeline from 2012 to 2026](/en/history/timeline-2012-to-2026/).

## End of term and later

In December 2014 parliament passed a vote of no confidence ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdiweli_Sheikh_Ahmed)). [Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke](/en/people/omar-abdirashid-sharmarke/) became the next prime minister (same source). From February 2015 he chaired a new party, the Somali Forum for Unity and Democracy (same source).

## In short

An economist who was Prime Minister from December 2013 to December 2014.

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