According to aides and people present, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi met Eric Trump on Wednesday in a private hotel conference room near the Davos venue, while President Trump was delivering a speech to global business leaders at the forum.
The discussions focused on investment opportunities in Somaliland, including the strategic deep-sea port of Berbera, which sits along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes linking Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Reuters reported that the discussions also touched on digital assets and emerging technologies, including crypto-related investment opportunities, aligning with the Trump family business’s expanding footprint in the sector.
“The meeting went well, it went very well,” Abdullahi told Reuters, confirming the talks.
Israel’s recognition and the stakes of global legitimacy
In a post on X, Herzog said he was pleased to meet his Somaliland counterpart, though he did not reference Eric Trump or the investment discussions.
For Somaliland, broader international recognition would be transformational. Recognition could unlock access to multilateral financing, formal trade agreements, and global capital markets, while strengthening investor confidence in sectors such as ports, logistics, energy, and digital infrastructure.
It would also elevate Berbera’s role as a regional trade hub at a time when Red Sea shipping routes are under strain.
Despite the optics, questions remain over whether the Davos meeting will translate into tangible outcomes.
Somaliland has operated with effective autonomy and relative stability since 1991, following Somalia’s descent into civil war. Yet, more than three decades on, the breakaway region remains diplomatically isolated.
Whether private-sector engagement can accelerate political recognition remains uncertain, but the Davos meeting is one of Somaliland’s most ambitious push yet to bridge that gap.
