The leaders of Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti have jointly inaugurated the Shabeely Resort, a major tourism and development project in Ethiopia’s Somali Region aimed at boosting tourism and strengthening regional integration in the Horn of Africa.
According to hiiraan, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh attended the event at the resort, one of the flagship developments under the Dine for Generations initiative.
The project covers 385 hectares and is designed to anchor a broader push to expand tourism, trade and cross-border connectivity.
The three leaders visit included tours of newly developed tourist sites across the Shabelle area of the Somali Region, according to officials.
Ethiopian authorities say the projects are part of a long-term strategy to reposition the Horn of Africa as a hub for economic cooperation, despite decades of conflict, political fragmentation and underinvestment. The region’s location linking the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and inland East Africa has long been viewed as strategic, but instability has limited its potential.
Abiy has increasingly used high-profile project inaugurations to signal Ethiopia’s development ambitions and regional outreach. He has previously invited neighboring leaders, including Somali officials, to major infrastructure milestones such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The dam’s operations were temporarily halted last year, adding to regional sensitivities over shared resources.
The inauguration comes at a delicate diplomatic moment. Relations between Somalia and Ethiopia have improved in recent months following tensions sparked by a failed agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland. At the same time, Ethiopian officials have publicly expressed concern about Somalia’s deepening ties with Egypt, a key regional rival with competing interests along the Nile basin.
Project backers describe it as a showcase for the Somali Region’s cultural heritage, combining contemporary design with traditional aesthetics rooted in local history. Officials say developments like Shabeely are intended to help diversify Ethiopia’s economy and support Abiy’s stated goal of turning the country into a leading African tourist destination.
