By Zakaria Soohoyde - Reporter
MOGADISHU, 3 October 2026 — Somalia’s New Mogadishu development plan is moving forward, with Qatar and Turkey expressing interest in building a new airport in the capital, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has said.
At the centre of the $600 million plan is a new airport and a new seaport aimed at expanding Mogadishu’s transport and economic infrastructure.
Speaking on the Mizan Podcast, the Prime Minister said he had discussed the airport project with Qatari officials during a visit to Qatar.
“When I was in Qatar, I discussed with Qatar the possibility of them building the airport. There are also Turks who want to build it,” Hamza said.
He said Somalia and Qatar had reached an understanding over the construction of the new airport, while stressing that projects of this scale require time to move from agreements and planning to implementation.
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The Somali government has previously said it wanted Somali businesses to participate in financing and developing projects under the New Mogadishu plan, which was announced in 2024.
The airport is expected to be among the first major components to be developed. In June 2025, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud laid the foundation stone for the planned new airport in the Maa'ay area, on the outskirts of Mogadishu.
According to project plans, the first phase of the airport is expected to have the capacity to handle up to 130,000 flights annually and around 51 million passengers per year once fully operational.
The plan also includes the development of a new seaport, with the Somali government previously saying that Turkey is prepared to participate in the project.
The airport and seaport are intended to form part of a broader infrastructure network aimed at strengthening Mogadishu’s position as a centre for trade, transport and investment.