By HAN News Desk
LONDON / MOGADISHU — Somalia will begin construction of a modern international seaport in Mogadishu next year, a project the government says will transform the country into a major commercial hub and reconnect it with global maritime trade routes. The announcement was made by Somalia’s Minister of Ports and Marine Transport, Cabdulkadir Mohamed Nur, during the 34th Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), currently underway in London.
Speaking to delegates, the minister said the new port will be designed to meet international standards and will integrate fully with global shipping corridors. It is expected to include a regional trade logistics center and a free-trade zone aimed at attracting investment and boosting Somalia’s competitiveness in the Horn of Africa.
“It will be a very large port that connects Somalia to the region and the wider world,” the minister told participants.
Although Mogadishu Port remains the busiest in the country, its activities largely serve domestic commerce, with limited capacity to handle major international cargo flows. The new port project is intended to complement—and eventually surpass—the existing one by offering deeper berths, modern container terminals, advanced navigation technologies, and greater throughput.
Minister Nur noted that Mogadishu Port has recently been ranked the number one port in East Africa, following an evaluation that compared 407 ports worldwide. He said the ranking reflected the government’s recent investments in modernization, efficiency, and management reforms.
“From this perspective, we do not need competition; we are already among the leaders,” the minister added confidently.
The current port, which operates 24 hours a day, has seen significant reductions in congestion and vessel waiting times. In 2020, ships often waited several days for clearance and unloading. Today, the waiting time has been reduced to approximately six hours, a change attributed to new machinery, upgraded systems, and enhanced workflows introduced by the government.
According to port management data, daily container-handling capacity has increased by 20 percent, with plans to reach 50 percent as equipment upgrades continue. The port, managed by Turkey’s Albayrak Group, has increased its annual TEU capacity from 150,000 to 180,000 this year, with a long-term target of 250,000 TEU.
Somalia has also signaled its intention to further strengthen maritime cooperation with Turkey, which has become a key partner in port development, maritime security, and technical capacity building. Minister Nur praised Turkey as a global leader in marine operations and said Somalia is determined to benefit from Ankara’s experience.
“With the longest coastline in Africa, we hope to develop quickly. We want to learn from Turkey’s expertise and boost our integration into global maritime commerce,” he said.
The announcement comes as Somalia accelerates efforts to re-establish itself within the international maritime community after decades of conflict, limited investment, and underdeveloped port infrastructure. The new Mogadishu seaport project is expected to support economic recovery, facilitate regional trade, enhance exports, and position Somalia as a strategic logistics hub along the Indian Ocean.
The 34th IMO Assembly opened in London on 24 November and will conclude on 3 December, bringing together delegates from more than 170 countries to discuss maritime safety, environmental regulations, and global shipping standards.
