By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Doha, 1 September 2026 - Somalia signed a cooperation agreement with Qatar's University of Doha for Science and Technology to establish the Somalia University of Technology, officials said Monday.
The agreement between Somalia's Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education and UDST will see the Qatari university support curriculum development, faculty training, quality assurance and certification.
The first phase will focus on technology, engineering, marine sciences, aviation, petroleum, energy and healthcare management, fields considered key to Somalia's development.
The initiative will prioritize training Somali faculty members to eventually lead the university's academic and administrative operations.
The government says the project aligns higher education with labour market needs amid growing demand for technical and engineering professionals.
More from Somalia
The project is part of Somalia's National Transformation Plan 2025-2029, which identifies knowledge and workforce skills as key to long-term growth.
The agreement was signed by Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamud, Director-General of Higher Education, for Somalia and Prof. Rashid Benlamri, Vice President for Academic Affairs, for UDST.
Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, Somalia's ambassador to Qatar and senior UDST officials attended the ceremony.
The education ministry said the partnership is part of efforts to improve higher and technical education quality and thanked Qatar for its continued support.
The new university is expected to provide students with skills aligned with labour market needs, particularly in technology, energy, aviation, marine sciences and engineering.