Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi has stressed that the Somali Diaspora Conference currently being held in Doha is an important opportunity to discuss how to employ the expertise and capabilities of Somali communities abroad in building and developing Somalia, strengthening the economy through investors and entrepreneurs, and building capacities through training and development programmes.

The event alsoreviews potential challenges and opportunities for the participation of Somali expatriates in developing their country and highlights their success stories in this regard.

In his speech during the opening of the three-day conference, Al Muraikhi said: “The conference, which is being held for the first time in an Arab country, is a forum that includes members of the Somali communities abroad, who have faced many challenges in the countries of immigration, such as the difficulty of integrating into new societies, adapting to the different cultures of the countries of immigration, the difficulty of preserving cultural identity, unemployment, and difficult economic conditions.”

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs added: “Despite these challenges, the Somali community abroad has been able to overcome these obstacles, which reflects the great ability of the Somali community to adapt and integrate with local communities, while preserving its cultural identity, in addition to overcoming difficult economic conditions.”

He stressed the importance of concerted international efforts and the contribution of Somali expatriates in building their country, noting that Qatar will continue to support Somalia.

Al Muraikhi pointed out the important role played byQatar in implementing many vital development projects, reconstruction and rehabilitation in Somalia, including building roads such as the Mogadishu-Afgoye Road Project, and the Mogadishu-Jowhar Project, in addition toQatar’s contribution to the rehabilitation and construction of the headquarters of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the construction and rehabilitation of the Mogadishu Municipality building. That is in addition to its support for security capabilities and economic empowerment programmes, and creating jobs for young people in Somalia, as well as Qatar’s implementation of many development and sustainable projects in Somalia in order to enhance stability, security and peace.

He stressedthat Qatar will spare no effort in supporting Somalia to achieve prosperity and stability.

In turn, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia HE Hamza Abdi Barre expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to Qatar for hosting this important conference, indicating that this hosting reflects the strong fraternal relations between the two countries.

In his speech during the opening of the conference, the Somali prime minister appreciated Qatar’s continuous and generous support for the Somali people in various fields, praising its giving during the ordeal of the conflict in Somalia, and its great efforts through which it sought to heal the rift and bring the viewpoints of the Somali parties closer together.

He said: “This conference reflects the aspirations and goals of the Somali people to achieve development and prosperity, as we aim through it to discuss ways of fruitful cooperation between Somalis abroad and their homeland, which contributes to achieving the comprehensive renaissance of our country,” referring to the prominent role played by the Somali community abroad in various fields.

The Somali prime minister explained that economic partnerships are one of the most important means of achieving sustainable growth, calling in this regard for establishing strategic partnerships that contribute to developing various aspects of life, especially in the fields of education, health, insurance, and finance.

He pointed out that enhancing production capacities and opening new markets for national products are vital steps towards achieving economic stability, pointing out his country’s efforts to enhance trade exchange with various countries of the world to improve the national economy.

He said that sustainably exploiting natural resources is a necessity to achieve sustainable development, expressing his hope that Somali expatriates will contribute to building companies working in the field of renewable energy, in addition to the need for their role in managing national wealth, including fish, animal and agricultural wealth, and achieving best practices in this framework.

He reviewed the most prominent challenges facing his country, such as environmental challenges, poverty, and building productive societies, pointing to the efforts of the Somali government to improve security and stability in the country, as enhancing security is the basis for creating an attractive environment for investments, which contributes to achieving sustainable economic development.