JERUSALEM (SD) – The President of Somaliland, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro), is scheduled to visit Israel at the end of March this year, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post.

The report states that this trip will not be President Irro’s first visit to Israel, but it will be the first to be officially announced. This signifies that the expected meetings will take place on a governmental level and will carry significant diplomatic weight.

According to the newspaper, President Irro is expected to meet with senior officials of the Israeli government. The discussions will focus on: strengthening bilateral relations, transforming the relationship into formal cooperation, and exploring investment and technological partnership opportunities.

Although the names of the officials he will meet have not been officially disclosed, the report indicates that the primary agenda will be to establish effective economic and technological cooperation.

The report also noted that Somaliland is particularly interested in cooperation regarding: modern technology, agriculture and water management, and innovation and the development of small businesses.

Israel is widely recognized for its advancements in technology and modern agricultural techniques, especially in irrigation and production in arid environments, which Somaliland views as a significant opportunity.

On the other hand, the Federal Government of Somalia has not yet commented on this report, and it is anticipated that this issue could generate political reactions and debate regarding foreign relations.

If the trip proceeds, it will be closely watched, as it could impact the direction of Somaliland’s foreign policy and its relations with other countries. Official confirmation and further details regarding the schedule and formal agenda are awaited.

If the visit is officially confirmed and conducted at a governmental level, it would represent a deliberate elevation of ties between Somaliland and Israel from informal or discreet engagement to overt diplomatic interaction. The fact that previous visits were not publicly announced suggests that both sides may previously have preferred quiet diplomacy. An openly declared trip signals confidence and potentially a recalculation of political risk, indicating that Somaliland’s leadership believes the benefits of transparency now outweigh the costs.

For Somaliland, the strategic logic is clear. Israel is internationally recognized for its leadership in water management, desert agriculture, irrigation systems, cybersecurity, and start-up innovation. These sectors align closely with Somaliland’s development needs, particularly in agriculture resilience, drought mitigation, and small-enterprise growth. By framing the visit around economic cooperation and technology transfer rather than immediate political recognition, Somaliland appears to be adopting a pragmatic strategy: building functional partnerships that strengthen its de facto state capacity while indirectly reinforcing its case for sovereignty.

For Israel, engagement with Somaliland could serve multiple interests. The Horn of Africa sits along critical maritime routes connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, corridors that are strategically important for trade and security. Expanding ties in this region may fit within Israel’s broader outreach to peripheral and emerging partners. However, formalizing relations would require careful diplomatic balancing, particularly given Israel’s existing relations with Somalia and its broader regional calculations.

Overall, the visit would not only be a bilateral development but also a signal of Somaliland’s increasingly assertive and diversified foreign policy approach, positioning itself within shifting geopolitical currents in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.