Saudi Arabia Archives - Kaab TV

Somalia and Saudi Arabia Reach Agreement on Port Development and Bilateral Cooperation

Staff Reporter — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:33:53 +0000

MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – The Governments of Somalia and Saudi Arabia have reached a multi-sector cooperation agreement, with a strong focus on the development of ports. The agreement was signed by Somalia’s Minister of Ports and Maritime Transport of the Federal Government, Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur, and his Saudi counterpart, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser.

According to a joint press release issued by the two Ministers of Ports from the governments of Mogadishu and Riyadh, Somalia and Saudi Arabia agreed to collaborate on port development, exports, investment, exchange of expertise, and all matters related to this vital economic sector.

The agreement is expected to enhance the efficiency and productivity of Somalia’s ports while creating new business opportunities and opening doors for increased investment, as stated in a release from the Ministry of Ports and Maritime Transport of the Federal Government of Somalia.

Previously, Somalia and Saudi Arabia signed a similar agreement between their Ministries of Defense. That agreement included strengthening military capabilities to address potential threats in maritime areas, including the Indian Ocean and other strategic sea routes.

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Djibouti, Saudi Arabia Sign 30-Year Deal for Tadjourah Port

Staff Reporter — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 07:00:25 +0000

Saudi Arabia (KAAB TV) – The Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority has announced the signing of a 30-year concession agreement granting Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Gateway Terminal the rights to operate, manage, and develop the Port of Tadjourah.

The framework agreement, signed on Friday in Jeddah, builds upon a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concluded between the two parties in March 2025, marking a new milestone in the growing maritime and logistics cooperation between Djibouti and Saudi Arabia.

The signing ceremony was attended by Aboubaker Omar Hadi, Chairman of DPFZA; Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama, Djibouti’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; and Jens O. Floe, CEO of RSGT International.

The agreement was formally signed by Kamil Mohamed Gorah, Chairman of the Port of Tadjourah, and Gagan Seksaria, Director of Investments at RSGT.

Officials hailed the deal as a major step toward diversifying and strengthening Djibouti’s port infrastructure.

Under the 30-year concession, RSGT will redevelop the Port of Tadjourah into a modern multi-purpose terminal with an initial handling capacity of five million tons per year.

The facility is expected to become a key gateway for Ethiopian imports and exports, including potash, fertilizers, grains, construction materials, and containerized cargo.

The development plan also envisions the establishment of a dedicated free zone designed to attract foreign investment and support integrated logistics, warehousing, and value-added services.

“The collaboration between RSGT and DPFZA in developing the Port of Tadjourah will further strengthen Djibouti’s strategic position as a leading logistics and maritime hub in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, serving as a vital link between Africa, the Middle East, and global markets,” the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority said in a statement.

Originally inaugurated in 2017, the Port of Tadjourah was built primarily to handle Ethiopia’s potash exports from the Afar region.

Limited utilization and infrastructure constraints have slowed its growth — a challenge the new Saudi partnership aims to address.

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How Umrah and Hajj Visas Are Being Exploited by Human Traffickers in Somalia

Mohamed Jamal — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:28:12 +0000

MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Somali human traffickers have found a new route to smuggle desperate migrants abroad: by misusing religious pilgrimage visas.

The Umrah and Hajj visas, intended for Muslims travelling to Saudi Arabia for religious rites, are now being exploited as a tool in human trafficking schemes.

Kaab TV has uncovered disturbing evidence of young Somalis paying up to $10,000 to middlemen based at travel agencies in Mogadishu in exchange for Umrah visas.

These intermediaries allegedly work with corrupt government officials in the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowment, and the Department of Immigration, to facilitate passport issuance and visa processing.

Although the ministry is officially tasked with overseeing Hajj and Umrah arrangements, it has reportedly outsourced much of its operations to agents and brokers closely tied to ministry officials.

Some of these individuals are accused of paying bribes to gain influence.

Widespread corruption

The current Minister of Religious Affairs in Somalia is Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali (pictured left), also known as Abu Mansur — a former co-founder and senior leader of the Al-Shabaab militant group.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud recently acknowledged the widespread corruption at the ministry.

“I received many complaints about corruption in the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowment,” the president said. However, in a controversial remark, he added that he was not concerned, stating: “Even if the minister steals, he would still invest some in the country.”

The current Minister of Religious Affairs in Somalia is Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali, also known as Abu Mansur — a former co-founder and senior leader of the Al-Shabaab militant group.

Religious pilgrimage has become a lucrative business in Somalia. One agent told Kaab TV that each Hajj traveler this year paid up to $4,500. Social media platforms in Somalia are flooded with ads for Hajj and Umrah packages, often promising “urgent processing” and even expedited passport services for extra fees.

What once was a journey of faith has now become a gateway for smuggling.

Abdirahman Bashi, a Mogadishu resident, recently received a call from his younger sister who had traveled to Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa.

The traffickers had promised to help her secure a visa to Italy once in Saudi Arabia, but now they are demanding additional money.

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“My sister told me they need more money to ‘facilitate’ her Italian visa,” Abdirahman said. His family has begun selling their land in a Mogadishu suburb to raise the funds.

Italy has recently become a popular destination for smugglers moving African migrants due to what they perceive as easier visa opportunities and asylum pathways.

While some victims make it to Europe, others remain trapped. One family in northern Mogadishu is heartbroken after learning their only son, Ahmed Nasir, is being held by traffickers in Tripoli, Libya.

He initially left Somalia for Egypt on a legal visa but was later smuggled into Libya, where he hoped to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

“The traffickers are now demanding $6,000, claiming it covers his travel expenses,” said Nasir’s mother, Halima. “But even if we pay them, I’m afraid they won’t let him go.”

The Somali Immigration Department did not respond to Kaab TV’s inquiries about the alleged involvement of its officials in the trafficking network.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowment has denied any wrongdoing or connection to the smuggling operations.

As the misuse of pilgrimage visas continues, vulnerable Somalis are caught in a dangerous cycle of exploitation, debt, and broken promises.

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Human Rights Groups Alarmed by Imminent Executions of Foreign Nationals Including Somalis in Saudi Arabia

Kaab TV News Editor — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 06:41:45 +0000

MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Dozens of Somali, Ethiopian, and Egyptian nationals among those facing death sentences for non-lethal drug offences amid execution surge.

Human rights organisations across Africa, Asia, and Europe have raised urgent concerns over the looming execution of hundreds of foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia, many of whom were convicted of non-lethal drug offences.

Among those at imminent risk are scores of Egyptian, Ethiopian, and Somali men, currently held in Saudi prisons under death sentences.

According to figures from the Saudi Press Agency, 98 people have already been executed for drug-related offences in 2025, marking a dramatic increase. Rights groups say many prisoners now live in “a state of terror,” with executions carried out without warning and amid serious due process violations.

In Najran Prison, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, at least 37 Ethiopian and 27 Somali nationals are on death row. So far this year, 19 Somalis and 7 Ethiopians have been executed, most on charges of “smuggling hashish.”

In June alone, 12 Somali men and 3 Ethiopian nationals were executed, with fears that more executions are imminent.

End extrajudicial executions

In Tabuk Prison, in the northwest, 26 Egyptian nationals are also on death row for drug-related crimes. At least three Egyptians have been executed this year, including Mahmoud Mohamed Khamis and Farhat Abu al-Saud, executed on May 24 and 25, respectively.

Other prisoners have reportedly been told they will be executed following the Eid al-Adha holiday, which ended on June 10. On that day, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions called on Saudi Arabia to halt the executions and end the death penalty for drug crimes, stating that violations of fair trial guarantees make such sentences “arbitrary and unlawful.”

Human rights organisations warn that many of those on death row may be victims of human trafficking, coerced or deceived into transporting drugs under threats or false promises. Yet most were denied a fair trial, with limited or no access to legal representation, consular assistance, or appeal processes.

Court documents and testimonies reviewed by rights groups point to systematic abuses, including torture during interrogations, reliance on forced confessions, and lack of legal transparency — all in violation of both Saudi law and international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights.

Saudi authorities routinely withhold the bodies of executed prisoners and fail to notify families in advance, who often only learn of executions through the media.

The location of burial sites is typically not disclosed.

As of 17 June 2025, 154 executions have been reported this year, an 80% increase from the same period in 2024 — the year with the highest number of executions in Saudi Arabia (345). Of those executed this year, 69 were foreign nationals from 11 African and Asian countries, including Somalia (19), Pakistan (12), Ethiopia (7), and Egypt (3).

International law strictly limits the use of the death penalty to the “most serious crimes,” interpreted to mean crimes involving intentional killing. Drug offences do not meet this threshold. While Saudi Arabia observed a short-lived moratorium on drug-related executions from January 2021 to November 2022, it was never formally codified, and executions resumed at alarming rates.

Despite repeated promises from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reduce the use of the death penalty, including pledges made as recently as March 2022, Saudi Arabia remains among the world’s top executioners. Rights groups note that some executions are carried out in secret and not publicly reported — with 49 of the 196 executions in 2022 never formally announced by state media.

In response to the ongoing crisis, over 30 human rights organisations have issued a joint appeal urging Saudi authorities to:

Immediately commute all death sentences for non-lethal offences;
Establish an official moratorium on executions;
And reform legislation to align with international human rights standards.

Signatory organisations include:

African Academy of Diplomacy (AAD), ALQST for Human Rights, Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), ECPM, Amnesty-associated national coalitions, DAWN, Reprieve, European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR), MENA Rights Group, Women’s Action for Human Rights (WAHR), among many others across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

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U.S., UAE, Switzerland, and Others Condemn Deadly Attack on UN Humanitarian Convoy in Sudan

Kaab TV News Editor — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:32:56 +0000

NAIROBI (Kaab TV) — The ALPS group — a coalition comprising the governments of the United States, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, along with the African Union and the United Nations — has strongly condemned a deadly attack on a United Nations humanitarian convoy in Sudan that left five aid workers dead and destroyed critical life-saving supplies.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families, colleagues, and communities of those who were killed while working to assist others in desperate need,” the coalition said in a joint statement.

The attack occurred on Monday night near the town of El Koma in North Darfur province, as the convoy was en route to the city of El Fasher.

The United Nations confirmed the deaths and the destruction of several aid trucks.

According to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, the convoy — a joint operation by the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF — consisted of 15 trucks and had traveled more than 1,800 kilometers from Port Sudan, carrying vital nutrition and food supplies.

“This horrendous act of violence is devastating,” Dujarric told reporters at a press briefing in New York on Tuesday.

“Multiple trucks were burned, and critical humanitarian supplies were destroyed. This was the first UN humanitarian convoy that was going to make it to El Fasher in over a year.”

The UN said negotiations were underway with local authorities to ensure safe passage to El Fasher when the attack occurred.

The United Nations confirmed the deaths and the destruction of several aid trucks.

The perpetrators of the assault remain unidentified, and Sudan’s rival factions are trading blame.

The ALPS coalition emphasized that attacks on civilians, aid workers, and humanitarian assets constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.

“We urgently reiterate the need for full respect of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel,” the statement read. “We call on all parties to allow and facilitate unhindered humanitarian access to people in need.”

Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal civil war since April 2023, when conflict broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The war has displaced millions and has been marked by widespread atrocities, including ethnic violence and mass sexual violence, particularly in Darfur.

The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, with large parts of the population now dependent on aid for survival.

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Saudi Arabia Expands Energy Ties with Africa: A Look at Key Investments, Partnerships

Kaab TV News Editor — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:48:15 +0000

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Kaab TV) – Earlier this week, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud signed an agreement to develop an executive plan for energy efficiency cooperation, strengthening bilateral ties in the energy sector and fostering sustainable development.

This follows another significant development in September, in which Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly secured a $5 billion pledge from Saudi Arabia’s PIF, representing the “first phase” of a larger investment strategy.

As a leading global energy giant, Saudi Arabia has been actively investing in Africa’s energy sector, aiming to expand its energy reserves, advance energy diplomacy and compete with other global superpowers. This strategic push not only strengthens Saudi Arabia’s influence in the region, but also paves the way for deeper economic and political ties with African nations.

To date, the lion’s share of investment in Africa’s energy sector has focused on clean energy advancements. With total project costs reaching $7 billion across the continent, Saudi developer ACWA Power stands as the leading private-sector investor in African renewable energy.

In October 2024, the company announced that its Redstone solar plant in South Africa was set to achieve its full 100 MW capacity, while its Kom Ombo solar PV plant in Egypt successfully reached its full capacity of 200 MW. ACWA Power is also leading Project DAO, South Africa’s largest hybrid renewable power plant, with an $800 million investment.

The project is expected to come online by 2026 and aligns with the Kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 goals.

In addition to renewable energy, Saudi Arabia is diversifying its investments to secure critical minerals for clean energy technologies. In October, Saudi Arabia’s Manara Minerals, a joint venture between Ma’aden and the Public Investment Fund (PIF), entered advanced talks to acquire a minority stake in First Quantum Minerals’ Zambian copper and nickel assets.

The potential investment, valued between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, underscores Saudi Arabia’s strategy to secure critical minerals that are vital for the global clean energy transition.

Turning to broader regional commitments, Saudi Arabia’s financial support for Africa’s energy infrastructure has grown. In October, the Kingdom announced a major funding initiative, pledging at least $41 billion for sub-Saharan African nations.

This includes $1 billion for development, $5 billion for startups, $10 billion in financing from the Saudi Export-Import Bank and $25 billion in private sector investments over the next decade.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Ministry of Energy has established the “Empowering Africa” initiative as part of its broader commitment to supporting sustainable development across the continent.

In collaboration with the Ministries of Communications and Information Technology and Health, the initiative aims to deliver clean energy, connectivity, e-health and e-learning solutions to enhance lives and promote long-term growth in Africa.

Building upon the Clean Fuel Solutions for Cooking Program, it focuses on providing cleaner cooking solutions to vulnerable populations, aiming to reduce reliance on traditional biomass fuels and improve health outcomes for millions of households.

Minister bin Salman Al Saud has emphasized energy as a fundamental human right and is spearheading efforts to improve access to clean cooking technologies across the continent.

Additionally, state-owned petroleum company Saudi Aramco is strengthening its partnerships with African nations to support energy investments and mobilization.

These collaborations are expected to drive infrastructure development, enhance oil and gas production capacity and facilitate knowledge transfer between Saudi and African energy stakeholders, while aligning with broader energy security and sustainability goals.

In the multilateral arena, the African Energy Chamber is working with Saudi Arabia to support South Africa’s G20 energy investments and mobilization. This partnership is set to facilitate greater financing and policy coordination, ensuring Africa’s energy priorities are well-represented in global energy discussions.

The upcoming African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies conference in Cape Town serves as a key platform to facilitate and support these investments, bringing together Saudi stakeholders, African governments and global energy leaders to advance new projects, strengthen partnerships and accelerate the continent’s energy transition. These collaborations are essential in addressing energy challenges, driving economic growth and fostering long-term sustainability. As Saudi investments expand – alongside those of other G20 nations – their impact on Africa’s energy landscape will only deepen.

(Source: African Energy Chamber)

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Somalia’s Puntland Identifies Origins of Influx of ISIS Militants

Kaab TV News Editor — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 20:10:40 +0000

BOSASO (Kaab TV) – Puntland counter-terrorism officials have identified the top countries where foreign terrorist fighters entering the region originate.

In late December, Puntland forces eliminated 12 foreign Islamic State (IS) fighters during a foiled car bomb attack on a military base in Dharjaalle, a remote mountainous area in Bari.

The regional forces have been engaged in operations against ISIS militants since late December when the counter-terror campaign was launched.

The bodies of the slain IS fighters were recovered, revealing that they included nationals from Ethiopia, Tunisia, Morocco, Tanzania, and other countries.

In January, Puntland security forces confiscated identity documents belonging to Mohamed Ahmed Al-Hawshani, a Saudi national believed to be a key financier of IS operations in the region.

Mohamed Ahmed Al Hawshani, the Saudi national who is an Islamic State militant , travelled via Egypt according to his passport and visa stamps on his passport.
This could give an insight into how wealthy terrorist members travel when entering Somalia.

Al Hawshani was not… pic.twitter.com/YmnaA7NbVN

— Kaab TV Breaking News (@KaabTV_Breaking) January 16, 2025

Top Countries of Origin for ISIS Fighters Heading to Puntland:

According to Puntland intelligence sources, foreign fighters entering the region mainly come from:

North Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan

Middle East: Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen

East Africa: Ethiopia, Tanzania

While ISIS-Somalia remains smaller in scale compared to al-Shabaab, its continued presence in Puntland highlights the region’s vulnerability.

ISIS established itself in Puntland in 2015 when a faction led by Abdulqadir Mumin broke away from al-Shabaab and pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Operating mainly in the Golis Mountains, ISIS-Somalia has carried out assassinations and IED attacks targeting security forces and local leaders.

Puntland’s strategic location along the Gulf of Aden and its proximity to the Red Sea make it a crucial area for international maritime trade.

This geography has also made it a hotspot for smuggling networks and illicit activities, which militant groups exploit for funding.

The region’s security challenges are further complicated by the involvement of international actors and the broader geopolitical landscape.

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Saudi Arabia executes five, including one Egyptian, for terrorism

admin — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 21:32:28 +0000

RIYADH (AFP) – Saudi Arabia on Monday put to death five people convicted of carrying out a deadly attack on a house of worship, state media said, the biggest group execution this year.

The five men – four Saudis and one Egyptian national – were tried for an attack that killed five people and injured an untold number of others in the kingdom’s east, home to most Saudi oil and most members of its Shia minority.

This brought to 68 the total number of people put to death so far by Saudi Arabia.

The terrorists were involved in attacks on security forces, warship places and also planned suicide blasts.

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