# Farah Ali Jama "Farah Ali Shire" (Faarax Cali Jaamac): Puntland finance minister, 2009 to 2014

> Farah Ali Jama (Farah Ali Shire): Puntland finance minister 2009 to 2014, the Kuwait Fund grant for Garowe airport and Maakhir University, his 2017 criticism of new 1,000-shilling notes, and three presidential runs.

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

## Who is he?

Farah Ali Jama (Somali: Faarax Cali Jaamac), also known as Farah Ali Shire, is a [Puntland](/en/states/puntland/) economist and politician. He was born in [Bosaso](/en/regions/bari/) and is from the Bari region. He was Puntland's Minister of Finance from 28 January 2009 to 28 January 2014, under President [Abdirahman Farole](/en/people/abdirahman-farole/) ([Wikipedia, Farah Ali Jama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farah_Ali_Jama)). He is from the Ali Suleiman, Majeerteen, Darod, and had earlier lived in Australia (same source).

## Finance minister, 2009 to 2014

He was appointed on 28 January 2009, succeeding Mohamed Ali Yusuf ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farah_Ali_Jama)).

**Garowe airport and [Maakhir](/en/history/warsangali-sultanate/) University.** Through its representative in [Kuwait](/en/diaspora/kuwait/), Faisal Hawar, the Puntland government signed a $10 million agreement in Dubai with a Kuwaiti company to build facilities at Garowe airport and at Maakhir University, financed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. In October 2013 Farah Ali Jama and the fund's deputy director, Hamad Al-Omar, signed a follow-up grant agreement in Kuwait: $6 million for the airport and the rest for the university ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farah_Ali_Jama), citing [Garowe Online](/en/economy/somali-media-companies/) and the Kuwait Fund). In June 2017 Garowe Online reported that the second phase of Kuwaiti funding had been delayed, and that President [Abdiweli Mohamed Ali](/en/people/abdiweli-gaas/) paid $2.5 million to the Turkish contractor to finish the airport, from a $10 million bonus paid by DP World after its Bosaso port agreement ([Garowe Online, 19 June 2017](https://garoweonline.com/index.php/en/news/puntland/somalia-puntland-government-hands-over-funds-to-complete-infrastructure-projects)).

His term ended on 28 January 2014, when the new president, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, appointed [Shire Haji Farah](/en/people/shire-haji-farah/) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farah_Ali_Jama)).

## After office

In September 2017, while visiting England, he told Garowe Online that Puntland faced "unprecedented challenges in its history since establishment in 1998", including a currency crisis. He linked it to new 1,000-shilling banknotes printed in Bosaso under President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, which he called false, and said the Farole government had handled inflation without printing currency. He said: "In terms of a country's development, Security should be first, people should be able to sleep and invest in peace." Garowe Online reported protests in parts of Puntland after the government refused to accept taxes from businesses in Somali shillings ([Garowe Online, 9 September 2017](https://garoweonline.com/index.php/en/news/puntland/somalia-farah-ali-shire-speaks-on-the-security-and-financial-crisis-in-puntland)). See [The Somali shilling and the dollar](/en/economy/somali-shilling-and-the-dollar/) and [The money of the member states](/en/economy/member-states-money/).

He ran for president of Puntland in 2009, 2014 and 2019 without winning, and joined the Mideeye party in 2020 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farah_Ali_Jama)).

## Sources disagree

- **His name.** Wikipedia uses Farah Ali Jama and notes he is also known as Farah Ali Shire; Garowe Online calls him Farah Ali Shire ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farah_Ali_Jama); [Garowe Online](https://garoweonline.com/index.php/en/news/puntland/somalia-farah-ali-shire-speaks-on-the-security-and-financial-crisis-in-puntland)).

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