Somalia Economy & Infrustructure blog.: May 2013

Somcable headquaters Hargeisa [U/C]

When it comes to developing a country’s economy, there’s one essential ingredient that has to be in the melting pot, and that’s an efficient and viable communications network.
And in the early years of the 21st Century, that comes down to mostly one thing, broadband. And this fact has not been lost on one particular African country that has publicly announced that it wants to be the Singapore of Africa. So does this ambitious nation herald a new stage of broadband in Africa?
Somalialnd is in the vanguard of a new technological age which is heralding the arrival of cost-effective broadband in Africa. Most broadband in Africa has up until early this year been delivered by satellite, but all that is changing in many parts of the continent by the delivery of new, high-speed fibre-optic internet networks. And this new infrastructure is being made possible by the laying down of a network of undersea cables around Africa. Somaliland, which is not a landlocked country, but due to many complications connecting its capital Hargeisa late this year and will spread out a national network throughout 2013

The new campus of East Africa University in Bossaso Somalia [U/C]

Construction of new terminal at Mogadishu's Aden Abdulle International Airport to begin this week.

Turkish construction firms Çetin Group and Kozuva will begin building the new Turkish sponsored air terminal at Mogadishu's Aden Abdulle International Airport, following the signing of a deal in late January.

The result of negotiations initiated by the Turkish Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance and their Somali counterparts, the new USD10million dollar facility will replace the current terminal and will handle 5'000 passengers per day (1.8million per annum) and 15 aircraft simultaneously (60 movements per day).

The project will be realized under a Build-Operate-Transfer model backed by Favori LLC, a consortium of Turkish construction firms Çetin Group and Kozuva with USD3million capital, that will provide for the construction and subsequent management (including security) at the future terminal. The contract is set to last for a combined duration of 20 years, but will be reviewed after 10, as Somali law does not permit concessions to be held for periods greater than 10 years.

A view of the airport from the Jazeera hotel on Airport road

Render of Proposed $10 million new terminal building

The current Federal Republic of Somalia Minister for Infrastructure meeting with Turkish Investors


The Current Terminal building at the airport

Mogadishu Children's Hospital [U/C]

Turkey plans to build the largest children’s hospital in East Africa in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The children’s hospital will be funded and constructed by the Yardım Eli aid association and will contain 100 beds. The complex in which the hospital will be located will also include an education center, a mosque and a guesthouse. Somalia has been experiencing its worst drought in the last 60 years as well as also dealing with ongoing conflict and terrorist attacks in the region.

Source