Mogadishu (Kaab TV) — Eric Trump, a senior executive in the Trump family business and son of U.S. President Donald Trump, has denied holding talks or discussing port investments with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, following reports of a high-level encounter on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
A spokesperson for Eric Trump said President Abdullahi attended a dinner reception at which Eric Trump was present and took a photo with him, but emphasized that no private meeting took place.
“At no point did Eric Trump ever have a meeting with the Somaliland president,” spokeswoman Kimberly Benza said in a statement. “Nor did he discuss a port at any time. There were over 100 people in the room.”
Benza added that Eric Trump did not respond to or comment on the Somaliland president’s remarks during the event and that any interaction was limited to brief courtesies. “Pleasantries were exchanged—that is it,” she said.
At the closed-door dinner held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, President Abdullahi outlined investment opportunities in Somaliland, including its strategic deep-sea port of Berbera, located along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
Attendees at the dinner included Eric Trump and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Israel last month became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland, more than three decades after the region declared independence from Somalia.
In a post on X, President Herzog said he was pleased to have met the Somaliland president at the Swiss resort, though he made no reference to Eric Trump. Two individuals present at the event said Eric Trump and President Abdullahi exchanged brief greetings when shaking hands at the beginning and end of the dinner but did not engage in substantive discussions.
Eric Trump holds no official role in the U.S. government but serves as a senior executive at the Trump Organization, which manages the family’s business interests across real estate, hospitality, and cryptocurrency ventures.
During President Trump’s first term, the Trump Organization adopted voluntary ethics guidelines prohibiting the pursuit of new business deals outside the United States. Days before the president’s second inauguration, however, the company announced revised guidelines removing that restriction.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is not recognized by the United Nations or most of the international community. Israel’s recognition has drawn strong opposition from Somalia and several regional and international actors, who argue the move violates Somalia’s sovereignty and could further destabilize the Horn of Africa.