Somalia joins Saudi-Egypt military pact amid UAE rift

Saudi Arabia is finalizing a new military cooperation pact with Somalia and Egypt aimed at countering the growing regional influence of the United Arab Emirates, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks to conclude the agreement, which would expand strategic, military, and intelligence coordination among the three countries. According to the report, Riyadh has urged Mogadishu to scale back its ties with the UAE amid escalating tensions between the two Gulf rivals, including disputes over Yemen. A spokesperson for the Somali government confirmed that a deal was under discussion but declined to provide further details.

The reported talks come against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between Somalia and the UAE. Earlier this week, Somalia’s federal government announced the cancellation of all agreements with the UAE, citing ‘threats to national security and sovereignty.” The decision, taken after an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers, voided all bilateral arrangements, including port development deals in Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo, as well as security and defense cooperation.

Somali officials accused the UAE of engaging in destabilizing activities that undermine the country’s unity and independence, describing the move as a sovereign and constitutional decision taken in the national interest. However, the cancellation was immediately rejected by several federal member states and by Somaliland, which argued that the federal government has no authority over agreements they independently signed with Abu Dhabi.

The timing of Somalia’s decision reflects broader regional tensions. It coincides with Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, a move that Mogadishu condemned as a threat to Somalia’s territorial integrity and linked to concerns over Palestinian displacement and the potential establishment of foreign military bases in the Horn of Africa. Reports have also emerged alleging that the UAE facilitated the escape of Yemeni separatist leader Aidarous Al-Zubaidi through Somaliland, further fueling accusations of interference.

The prospective Saudi-led security pact comes as rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the UAE intensifies, with the two Gulf powers backing opposing factions in Yemen and competing for influence over strategic ports and maritime routes across the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.

Egypt’s involvement also reflects its expanding strategic footprint in Somalia, driven in part by Cairo’s escalating dispute with Ethiopia over the Nile and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Last year, Somalia’s federal government approved the deployment of Egyptian troops to join the African Union–led peacekeeping mission, marking a significant deepening of security cooperation between the two countries.

Source: Somalia joins Saudi-Egypt military pact amid UAE rift | Geeska