By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Somalia, July 14 2026 – Somalia on Monday launched a major urban redevelopment project on the site of a former informal settlement in Mogadishu, to modernize the capital and encourage private investment.
Minister of Public Works, Ayub Ismail Yusuf, presided over the ground-breaking ceremony for the mixed-use development and inaugurated a newly constructed road serving the area.
According to the Ministry of Public Works, the project will include a modern shopping mall, residential housing, commercial facilities and a recreational park, with the aim of improving urban infrastructure, creating employment and supporting economic growth.
The ceremony was attended by Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Ali Yusuf Ali, Environment and Climate Change Minister Bashir Mohamed Jama, and Mogadishu Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein. Senior police officials, members of the federal parliament and private investors also attended the ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Yusuf said the redevelopment marked a transformation of an area in Mogadishu's Hodan district that had long been associated with informal settlements, insecurity and inadequate public services.
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He said the government was working to increase access to housing while redesigning the capital to meet the standards of a modern city.
"The government has adopted policies to redevelop public land and informal settlements in order to improve the capital and expand access to housing," Yusuf said.
He also pledged to support domestic investors, describing private investment as a key driver of Somalia's reconstruction, economic growth and urban development.
The Ministry of Public Works said the redevelopment forms part of a broader urban renewal programme under which reclaimed public land is being allocated for projects intended to improve public services, stimulate economic activity and enhance the appearance of the capital.
The ministry did not disclose the project's cost, financing arrangements or expected completion date.