Abdullahi thanked Israeli officials for hosting the Somaliland delegation and described the visit as an important milestone in relations between the two governments.

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi is visiting Israel for the first time since it became the first country to recognize Somaliland.

In December 2025, Israel became the first UN member state to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent country.

Israel became the first country to formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland.

Israel, through its MASHAV program, trained Somaliland’s first 20 water engineers in desalination, purification, and resource management—boosting the self-declared republic’s fight against water scarcity.

Israel alone decides whom it recognizes and with whom it maintains diplomatic relations.

The visit follows Israel’s recent recognition of Somaliland, making it the first country to formally acknowledge the territory’s independence.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel recognized the self-declared Horn of Africa nation, becoming the first country to do so.

Israel has become the first country to formally recognize the state of Somaliland on the Horn of Africa, sparking backlash from other Arab nations while prompting celebrations across Somaliland.