Welcome to the inaugural issue of Somali Insights, a bold step in chronicling the economic pulse, development trajectory, and business ecosystem of Somalia. This magazine was born out of a simple but powerful conviction: that Somalia’s evolving business landscape deserves more than fleeting headlines, it requires thoughtful analysis, authentic inquiry, and a platform that amplifies local expertise and vision. Our contributors examined the potential and the possibilities that come with the finalizing the joining of Somalia into the East African Community and the promise of regional integration, the dizzying pace of real estate growth, the silent toll of capital flight, and the untapped power of technology and the knowledge economy which arguably holds great promise for Somalia with its youth bulge and chronic underemployment. Each story in this edition tells us something profound about where Somalia can be headed with the right mindset, leadership and innovation. In this issue, you’ll meet voices shaping tomorrow’s Somalia: entrepreneurs transforming skylines, public intellectuals calling for reform in policy and practice, thinkers urging a pivot toward knowledge and innovation, and tech savvy youth redefining what’s possible and charting new undiscovered territory in the digital realm. These are not abstract ideas— they are the lived realities which need further exploration and guidance. With that optimistic outlook in mind, yet we do not shy away from the challenges as our pages explore as well infrastructure gaps, education shortfalls, and the almost missing role of public policy making and strategic guidance and regulation which can only be provided by governments. Somali Insights aims to be more than a magazine, it’s a medium for reflection, debate, and forward thinking. It is a resource for decision-makers, a mirror for business leaders, and a bridge between striving locals and the diaspora with the means and resources to contribute to our nation’s rise. We are grateful to the contributors, partners, and the visionary team at Yool-Bridge Consulting Group for making this publication possible. Thank you for joining us on this journey. We hope this issue informs, provokes thought but most importantly inspires
Yahye Mohamed Mohamud
Somali Insights
Editor in Chief- Somali Insights