Somaliland president makes historic first visit to Israel following country’s recognition

by | Jun 14, 2026

The highlight of the visit is expected on Monday evening, with the official opening of Somaliland’s embassy, marking the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and Somaliland First Lady Fardowsa Mohamed Roble, accompanied by a senior delegation, arrived in Israel on Sunday for a landmark state visit, opening a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

Israel and Somaliland formally established diplomatic relations as recently as December 2025, and quickly set about creating a working infrastructure.
In January of this year, Herzog and Abdullahi met in Davos, Switzerland. In February, Somaliland announced the appointment of  Dr. Mohammed Hagi as its first ambassador to Israel. In April, Israel announced the appointment of Michael Lotem as its non-resident ambassador to Somaliland.

In May, Herzog accepted Hagi’s credentials, and now, in June, Abdullahi is in Israel to open Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem’s Malha Technology Park.  He is also scheduled to address the Knesset on Tuesday evening.

Somaliland is the eighth country to open an embassy in Jerusalem, following the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Fiji. Earlier this month, Sa’ar flew to Fiji to reopen the Israeli embassy there, following a 30-year hiatus.

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