Minister of State and Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, received a high-level delegation from the Federal Republic of Somalia on Thursday at the ministry’s headquarters. The delegation was led by the Minister of Education and Higher Education and Special Envoy, Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir Mohamed, who carried a message from the President of Somalia to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The meeting was attended by the Somali Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ali Mohamed Omar, and the Somali Ambassador to Algeria, Yusuf Ahmed Hassan. Also present were the Minister of National Education, Mohamed Seghir Saadaoui, the CEO of Sonatrach, Noureddine Daoudi, and officials from the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Mines.
The meeting provided an opportunity to review the state and prospects of Algerian-Somali bilateral relations, characterized by their fraternal and historical nature, particularly in the fields of hydrocarbons and mines. This follows the official visit of the President of Somalia to Algeria in November 2025, which resulted in the signing of several cooperation agreements across various sectors.
Both sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation, partnership, and investment relations throughout the hydrocarbon value chain, including exploration, production, transport, refining, and petrochemical activities. They also explored the potential for developing partnerships between the Sonatrach Group and its subsidiaries and various Somali institutions active in this field.
The importance of training and building scientific and technical capacities was emphasized, particularly by leveraging the expertise of the Algerian Petroleum Institute. This includes enhancing training programs for Somali personnel and sharing Algeria’s leading experience in the oil and gas industry, as well as the regulatory and legal frameworks governing hydrocarbon activities.
On this occasion, the Minister of State for Hydrocarbons and Mines affirmed Algeria’s commitment, following the directives of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to consolidate cooperation and enhance exchanges with Somalia, especially within the framework of South-South and inter-African cooperation. He reiterated Algeria’s readiness to support Somalia’s efforts in developing its hydrocarbon sector through the expertise of Sonatrach and the Algerian Petroleum Institute, whether through training in Algeria or the exchange of expertise regarding the legal and regulatory framework, in coordination with specialized bodies such as the National Agency for the Valorization of Hydrocarbon Resources.
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