Somaliland’s recognition bid boosted by UAE funding

[Deeq A.]

WASHINGTON, United States — The United Arab Emirates is playing a central role in promoting Somaliland’s cause in Washington and European capitals, bankrolling one of the world’s most powerful lobbying firms to build political support and shape international coverage, according to filings and policy sources.

Somaliland, a self-declared republic in the Horn of Africa that broke away from Somalia in 1991, has long sought formal recognition from the United States and other countries. Lacking diplomatic status, it relies heavily on private lobbying to gain access to policymakers and the media.

FGS Global campaign

At the heart of the campaign is FGS Global, a multinational communications and lobbying firm whose roster of foreign clients includes the UAE.

Records filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) show Abu Dhabi paid FGS Global about $2.6 million over the six months ending July 2024 for strategic communications and outreach. Analysts and critics say the UAE’s annual expenditure on FGS could be as high as $5 million.

Policy observers contend the UAE leverages this relationship to advance broader regional objectives — including deepening ties with Somaliland, where Emirati companies have invested heavily in port and infrastructure projects at Berbera, a strategic location on the Gulf of Aden. The UAE has also trained security forces in the region and expanded its Red Sea presence.

FARA filings reviewed by Caasimada Online show that on Somaliland’s behalf, FGS Global has arranged meetings with senior journalists and editors from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, NBC, NPR, and Axios.

The outreach is part of a sustained effort to craft a positive narrative around Somaliland’s governance record, its relative stability compared to Somalia, and its potential role as a security partner in the Horn of Africa.

While such meetings are standard practice in public affairs, critics argue the UAE’s financial clout gives its preferred partners — including Somaliland — outsized visibility in influential media.

Think tanks in the mix

Two primary Washington think tanks have featured prominently in recent months. In January 2025, the Hudson Institute published an opinion piece titled Seven Inaccuracies About US Support for Somaliland, defending engagement with the territory.

In December 2024, the Atlantic Council described a “rare opportunity” for the United States to deepen ties with Somaliland, while acknowledging obstacles posed by Somalia’s opposition and US reluctance to challenge the African Union consensus.

Some commentators allege that donations — either from Somaliland or indirectly from Gulf backers — have been made to these think tanks to encourage favorable positions.

Other reports have claimed Somaliland makes more than $1.5 million in unreported annual payments to FGS Global and that all lobbying activity is coordinated by the Israeli-American wife of Somaliland’s Washington representative, Bashir Goth.

UAE’s Horn strategy

The UAE’s deepening engagement with Somaliland is part of a wider Horn of Africa strategy. Abu Dhabi has expanded its economic and security footprint along key maritime corridors, from Yemen’s Socotra island to Berbera port.

In Somaliland, DP World — a Dubai-based port operator — has invested in modernising Berbera Port and developing a free trade zone. Control over such infrastructure offers the UAE strategic leverage over one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

By funding high-level lobbying in Washington, analysts say the UAE is not only promoting Somaliland’s recognition bid but also seeking to cement its influence over Red Sea security policy.

Somaliland has maintained its own government, currency, and security forces for more than three decades. Despite holding multiple peaceful elections, it remains unrecognized internationally.

Its lobbying campaign — supported by Gulf funding and coordinated through FGS Global — comes amid renewed debate in US policy circles over whether closer ties with Somaliland could serve American strategic interests, particularly in countering Chinese and Iranian influence in the region.

For now, the UAE’s financial and political backing has helped put Somaliland on the agenda in Washington. But without a shift in US policy, analysts say the territory’s recognition drive will remain an uphill battle — regardless of the lobbying firepower behind it.