Somaliland president meets Eric Trump and Israel's Isaac Herzog at Davos

January 24, 2026 - 03:15

The President of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, has utilized the platform of the World Economic Forum in Davos to advance his administration's key foreign policy goal: international recognition. In a series of notable meetings, President Bihi engaged with influential figures from the United States and Israel.

A significant diplomatic encounter was with Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel. This meeting carries considerable weight, as Israel is one of the very few nations to have formally recognized Somaliland's self-declared independence from Somalia decades ago. The discussions likely focused on reinforcing bilateral ties and regional stability.

Further highlighting Somaliland's push for global engagement, President Bihi also met with Eric Trump, son of former U.S. President Donald Trump. While the exact details of their conversation remain private, such high-profile interactions are viewed as efforts to elevate Somaliland's profile on the world stage and attract potential investment. These meetings underscore Somaliland's persistent, decades-long campaign to be acknowledged as a sovereign state within the international community, despite the lack of widespread formal recognition.